Every year, approximately 460,000 children are reported missing in the United States, according to Global Missing Kids. That’s a number we can never accept, and it makes me very sad that so many children are out there without their parents or loved ones.
Fortunately, this potential kidnapper was caught before his evil plans became a reality. And how he was captured is still making headlines around the world…
We have seen several examples of children being brave over the years. Just because you’re a kid doesn’t mean that you cannot stand up for what’s right, be brave or save lives.
The Weiler family’s nightmare began on an April morning in 2017.
Brandie Weiler, a mother of two from Virginia, was driving her children to Busch Gardens, a seasonal theme park in Williamsburg, Virginia when they passed a traffic accident on the highway.
Brandie stopped immediately to see if anyone needed any help. While checking on a woman and calling 911, her daughters, Maddie and Mollie, remained in the family van.
Then, out of nowhere, a man came walking toward the van. The same man had allegedly caused the car crash, and he had no good intentions.
He tried to get into the car, but Brandie’s 12-year-old daughter, Maddie, was lightning fast and locked the car. However, that didn’t help.
The man just managed to stick his hand in through a window and unlocked the car. After that, he tried to hit the gas and drive away – with Brandie’s two daughters still in the vehicle.
“I am on the phone with dispatch and I am screaming, ‘Somebody help me this guy is in this car with my kids,'” Weiler told ABC and continued: “Maddie locked the door, but he put his hand through the window and unlocked the door. He was yelling and wasn’t making any sense.”
The man shouted “I need to get to this place” and things like “Let’s go” but Maddie decided to stand her ground and put up a fight. Seven-year-old Molly got scared and screamed, but her 12-year-old big sister reacted instinctively. Maddie refused to let the man take control of the van.
Maddie immediately put the gear stick into drive, so the perpetrator would be unable to start the van and drive away. After that, Mollie started punching and beating the man with all she had. During the turmoil, her little sister managed to escape.
”I was so hyped up on adrenaline, so I wasn’t really scared,” Maddie said.
“I knew what I needed to do. I was thinking about getting Mollie out and beating this guy up so he couldn’t start the car – doing anything I could so I could save Mollie. If he took off with both of us or took Mollie, it would’ve been my priority to get her out. I would’ve been heartbroken.”
When Maddie started beating and biting the man, it was impossible for him to start the car. Meanwhile, she screamed loudly to draw attention to the car. Soon the police arrived and thanks to Maddie, the perpetrator remained at the scene.
“When you’re in that situation, you just go. I would think most people would freeze but I was not about to leave my sister,” Maddie told People.
The officers were able to subdue the man and take him into custody.
Afterward, 12-year-old Maddie was hailed as a hero by her mother and the police. According to Maddie, she’s a horse girl, so handling the violent man was no problem because she usually knows how to get control of a big, wild horse. Unfortunately, Maddie suffered a fractured wrist during the encounter but was happy to be able to defend her family.
She would do the same thing again – without hesitation.
Clearly Maddie’s parents have done an excellent job of raising their girls.
“Steve [Maddie’s father] and I have both instilled in them that if someone grabs you, or someone tries to take you, you kick and scream,” Brandie Weiler said. “You just don’t think it’s going to happen to you. I knew Madison was tough and I knew she could handle a lot, but I had no idea that she could handle this in the manner that she did.”
Thank God this young lady had the strength to fight off this guy! If she was my daughter I would be so proud, great job Maddie!
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