Dad’s Knockout Punch Stops Would-Be Kidnapper From Dragging His Daughter, 3, Away

Jun 20, 2023 by apost team

Danger can pop up at the most unexpected times, so parents always have to remain vigilant of potential threats to their children, especially in a public space. One father found this out the hard way on a day that seemed like any other.

According to CBS News, 3-year-old Aubrey Cantrell and her 6-year-old sister Natalie Cantrell were playing at one of their favorite spots, Regional Park in Auburn, California, on the Sunday evening of April 8, 2018. Their mother and stepfather were also there to keep an eye on the two little girls. However, nothing could prepare them for one of the worst nightmares come true for a parent.

The children’s biological father, Freddie Cantrell, happened to live near the park. On that fateful day, he was shocked to receive a panicked phone call from his former partner. He answered the call to hear the mother of their two girls screaming and telling him he needed to get to the park right away because someone was trying to kidnap little Aubrey.

“I got a phone call from the mother saying, ‘Hey you got to get down here quick. Somebody tried to kidnap Aubrey,’” Freddie recounted to the news outlet.

The terrifying encounter happened right in front of the eyes of older sister Natalie, who later recalled that the “guy walked up and started dragging Aubrey and running with her and skipping with her.”

With no time to waste, Freddie bolted out of his home and ran to the park, fearing the worst. As it happened, the mother and stepfather were already chasing after the perpetrator while Freddie was headed their way from the opposite direction.

Freddie was the first to catch up with the suspect, and things immediately turned violent. The stranger had handcuffs wrapped around his fist. Freddie realized he intended to use them as makeshift brass knuckles and his reflex to keep himself and his child from danger quickly set in.

“He tried to swing at me with handcuffs wrapped around his fingers and try to use them as brass knuckles, and that’s when I just took action and tried to knock him out,” Freddie explained to CBS News.

The police arrived shortly after and were able to take the suspect, identified as 26-year-old Yonel Hernandez-Velasco, into custody for assault with a deadly weapon and attempted kidnapping. 

The incident left the community horrified. Many said they would now be extra cautious when out at the park, especially on their own with children.

“You see the bad stuff on the news and hope it's not going to happen to your kids, so you got to just keep an eye out I guess,” one mother who lived in the area told the outlet. Her 11-year-old son, meanwhile, acknowledged the danger he himself could have faced.

“It’s better than me having to get kidnapped because I come here alone,” he said. 

After the ordeal, CBS News reported that Audrey’s mother had taken to Facebook to recount the incident, after which many users praised Freddie for his protective instincts and lightning-quick reaction. However, the dad said he had only done what any father would do in the same situation.

“They’re saying ‘Oh you’re a hero for saving that little girl.’ Well that little girl is my daughter, and I’m just doing the fatherly thing,” he said.

apost.com

How terrifying was the ordeal little Audrey had to go through? Would you have reacted in the same way as her father, Freddie? Let us know and then pass this along to friends and family so they know how important it is to keep an eye out for danger in public.