Boy Fights Off Kidnapper, Identifies Suspect the Next Day
Eight-year-old DeMontay Thompson fought off a kidnapper’s attempt to take him from his home; the next day, he saw the man he said did it driving down his street.
By Anastacia Mott Austin
DeMontay Thompson, 8, was outside his home in Kansas City on Monday, playing in the front yard, when a man "came out of nowhere," covered the boy’s eyes and then picked him up.
The man started carrying Thompson, who was yelling and kicking, several blocks away to a vacant lot behind a school.
The boy struggled so hard that he managed to set off a car alarm on a parked car nearby, and eventually got away from the man, running home as fast as he could.
His parents couldn’t find the attacker.
Police officers commended DeMontay’s actions, saying he did exactly what he was supposed to do. "Just fight. Fight, fight, fight. You know, this child did 100 percent the right thing. I don’t know if his mom taught him that or his school taught him that, but somebody definitely told this child, you know, fight for your life," said Kansas City police officer Darin Snapp.
DeMontay’s mother, LaTasha Nelson, told reporters at local Kansas City station KMBC, about discovering her son was missing, "I was terrified. I was mad. I was ready to kill something."
Nelson added that her son was having nightmares and wanted to sleep with his mother.
The following day, the child told his parents he saw the kidnapper driving down their street.
"He ran in the house and he said, ‘Mama, Mama, that’s the guy," said Nelson.
DeMontay’s parents followed the suspect in his car to a hair salon nearby. When he got out of his car, they followed him in.
"He just started yelling, ‘It wasn’t me! It wasn’t me!" said Nelson to KMBC reporters. "And I was like, ‘It wasn’t you, what?’ And then he just stood there. So I said, ‘[You’re] going to jail.’"
The parents then called police.
Rodrick C. Wright, 49, was arrested and charged with attempted kidnapping, and is being held in lieu of $250,000 bail. If convicted, he could potentially face life in prison.
Police officer Snapp had additional praise for DeMontay and his family after the arrest. "His parents have done a very good job with him as far as telling him what to watch out for, how to get out of danger, and also, how to report something if he sees it."
Added DeMontay’s mother, "Yeah, I’m real proud."
DeMontay Thompson, 8, was outside his home in Kansas City on Monday, playing in the front yard, when a man "came out of nowhere," covered the boy’s eyes and then picked him up.
The man started carrying Thompson, who was yelling and kicking, several blocks away to a vacant lot behind a school.
The boy struggled so hard that he managed to set off a car alarm on a parked car nearby, and eventually got away from the man, running home as fast as he could.
His parents couldn’t find the attacker.
Police officers commended DeMontay’s actions, saying he did exactly what he was supposed to do. "Just fight. Fight, fight, fight. You know, this child did 100 percent the right thing. I don’t know if his mom taught him that or his school taught him that, but somebody definitely told this child, you know, fight for your life," said Kansas City police officer Darin Snapp.
DeMontay’s mother, LaTasha Nelson, told reporters at local Kansas City station KMBC, about discovering her son was missing, "I was terrified. I was mad. I was ready to kill something."
Nelson added that her son was having nightmares and wanted to sleep with his mother.
The following day, the child told his parents he saw the kidnapper driving down their street.
"He ran in the house and he said, ‘Mama, Mama, that’s the guy," said Nelson.
DeMontay’s parents followed the suspect in his car to a hair salon nearby. When he got out of his car, they followed him in.
"He just started yelling, ‘It wasn’t me! It wasn’t me!" said Nelson to KMBC reporters. "And I was like, ‘It wasn’t you, what?’ And then he just stood there. So I said, ‘[You’re] going to jail.’"
The parents then called police.
Rodrick C. Wright, 49, was arrested and charged with attempted kidnapping, and is being held in lieu of $250,000 bail. If convicted, he could potentially face life in prison.
Police officer Snapp had additional praise for DeMontay and his family after the arrest. "His parents have done a very good job with him as far as telling him what to watch out for, how to get out of danger, and also, how to report something if he sees it."
Added DeMontay’s mother, "Yeah, I’m real proud."
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