ALPENA TOWNSHIP, Mich. — An 8-year-old girl mushroom hunting in her backyard escaped from an attempted child abduction on Wednesday while her older brother chased off the suspect with a slingshot.
According to the Michigan State Police, troopers from the Alpena Post responded to a home in Alpena Township for an attempted child abduction on May 10.
An 8-year-old girl was mushroom hunting in her backyard when an male she did not know appeared from the woods. He held the victim’s mouth shut before a struggle ensued, and the girl was able to break free. The victim’s 13-year-old brother witnessed the assault occurring in the backyard and shot the suspect with his slingshot in the head and chest.
A family member saw the suspect matching the description fleeing the area. Alpena Post troopers canvassed the area and were able to locate the suspect hiding at a nearby gas station.
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The suspect was identified as a 17-year-old male from Alpena. He had obvious signs of injury from the slingshot, including wounds to his head and chest. He was taken into custody and ultimately confessed to detectives that he planned on severely beating the victim. The suspect was taken to the Alpena County Jail without incident.
The juvenile suspect was charged as an adult with one count of attempted kidnapping/child enticement, one count of attempted assault to do great bodily harm less than murder and one count of assault and battery. He is being held on a $150,000 bond.
