Man Who Tried To Snatch 10-Year-Old Girl On Her Way To School Turned In By His Parents: Report
Oct. 3 2022, Published 11:53 a.m. ET
A 28-year-old who tried to kidnap a girl near her Colorado school was turned in by his parents, Radar has learned.
Recently, prosecutors in Brighton, Colorado, announced they arrested Deigo Gettler in connection to the case. He was charged with second-degree kidnapping and was booked into jail.
Around 7:30 a.m. on Sept. 23, police in Thornton, Colorado, responded to the STEM Launch Academy when a victim reported she had just been grabbed outside the school. The 10-year-old girl said she was just arriving for the day.
The victim resisted the attack, and the suspect ran from the area.
“It’s concerning when a child who is beginning their normal school day with an expectation of being safe, is attacked for no apparent reason,” police said in providing details of the incident.
“No child should have to worry about this type of event. We take this and any other type of attack seriously and investigate them to the fullest.”
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The child reported the suspect came up from behind and wrapped his hands around her waist. That is when she started to scream, and the suspect tried to cover her mouth with his hand. She grabbed and pulled his mask down, which spooked the suspect and he ran away.
After the incident, police released surveillance video of the suspect and his vehicle and asked the public for help.
That led Gettler’s parents to go to Thornton police and identify their son as the possible suspect, according to a police affidavit obtained by PEOPLE Magazine. The parents believed they recognized him based on the released photos and his vehicle.
Police were also able to determine that Gettler’s cell phone was in the area at the time of the attack.
He was arrested in his car outside of a Home Depot.