Father fights off attempted abductor outside his home

NEWNAN, Ga. — Newnan police are looking for a man they say tried to snatch a 1-year-old girl out of her front yard. The little girl’s father fought off the stranger before the man got away.

“I wasn’t expecting anything like that to happen,” said the girl’s father, Sidney Echols.

Echols told Channel 2 Action News that he was alongside his Pinson Street home raking leaves while his two children played on a small trampoline out front. He said his son Sertavius ran over to him saying there was a strange man next to his sister Saryiah, and that he had his hands on her.

TRENDING STORIES:

• 3 confirmed tornadoes in metro Atlanta
• Ex-DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis has conviction overturned
• Man out on bond for murder accused of killing 15-year-old cousin

Echols dropped his rake and ran to see what was happening.

“He had her,” said Echols. “He was dragging her, and then I grabbed him, like, what are you doing? I throwed him down, beat him up and let him go. I took the kids inside and locked the doors.”

Police say the would-be abductor jumped into an older model Honda with a doughnut tire and drove away.

“I just hope the police get him,” Echols said.

Newnan police are investigating the case and worry the man could try to snatch another child.

Neighbors are worried to let their children play outside.

“My little sister, they would love to play with their little friends, but they don’t even want to come outside anymore,” said neighbor Diquesha Kennedy.

Cox Media Group