'True heroes': Brothers rescue cop from cruiser engulfed in flames — and credit their mother, who taught them the Golden Rule



Atlanta police last week shared a video report they said demonstrates that "in moments of crisis, true heroes emerge."

On the night of Oct. 21, Officer Malik Safi was responding to a call for backup — but he never arrived at the scene, officials said.

'I feel extremely proud of them both. I feel like they did exactly what they were taught to do — to help and have empathy for other people.'

Instead, Safi crashed into a house, setting both the residence and his patrol vehicle on fire, officials said.

WSB-TV reported that Safi also suffered serious injuries in the crash and was trapped inside the vehicle.

But fortunately brothers Keshun Robinson and Ryan Beck — and others — were around to help.

In fact, they braved the flames and pulled Safi out of his burning cruiser and to safety. That heroic action is captured, in part, on Safi's body-worn camera.

“We just went off our heart,” Beck later said. “[It’s] how we was raised, you know. We didn't want to see nobody suffer in that type of situation. We just hopped out and sprung into action."

Robinson added, “We just tried to comfort [the officer] and let him know that he wasn’t there by himself."

But the danger wasn't over.

Soon gunshots were ringing out — and Robinson said "one of [the officer's] guns that was in the car actually started going off."

With that, police said the group had to move Safi yet again, this time pulling him all the way to a sidewalk.

RELATED: Hero cousins — just 9 and 11 — step up in a big way when they notice trouble at their favorite ice cream shop

What's more, an unknown woman seen and heard on Safi's bodycam video got on police radio and told dispatch he needed help.

WSB said the officer was taken to a hospital, and police noted that the "bravery and selflessness" of the two brothers and the other Good Samaritans "saved Officer Safi’s life."

Later Beck noted to police that his mother raised him and his brother to live by the Golden Rule: "Treat people how you want to be treated."

Their mother, Keziah Reed, also appeared in the police department's video report and said, "I feel extremely proud of them both. I feel like they did exactly what they were taught to do — to help and have empathy for other people."

Robinson added that perhaps the best part of the experience was when his own son called him a hero. "It means the world to me. It lit up my day. It made me a proud human being — not even [as] a father — just a proud person."

Police noted that "these residents remind us that community truly means neighbors looking out for one another when it matters most. From all of us at the Atlanta Police Department, thank you for your extraordinary courage."

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Hero cousins — just 9 and 11 — step up in a big way when they notice trouble at their favorite ice cream shop



Aaron Roesch opened his new ice cream shop in south St. Louis a month ago — and it's quickly become a favorite gathering place for kids in the neighborhood.

Roesch told KTVI-TV in its video report that youngsters often will come into his shop — Aunt Jamie's Frozen Custard and Waffles, named after his aunt and godmother — and "just hang out and do their homework and draw."

'Help people. Be nice to all your adults and peers. Be nice to your elders, and be respectful to your elders.'

Of course, there's always the prospect of sweet treats as well.

"Like, he give us everything," 9-year-old Adonis Pickens told KSDK-TV. "He give us free stuff."

Pickens' cousin, 11-year-old Jayceon Cooper, added to KSDK that he and Adonis are regulars and come to Aunt Jamie's "almost every day, if he open."

But Roesch also noted to KSDK that the boys "immediately were trying to help me ... and they would work for ice cream and snow cones."

"These fellows have become my friends," the shop owner told KTVI, with Jayceon adding, "We're like his little buddies."

Well, the camaraderie the trio share deepened last week when Jayceon and Adonis noticed something disturbing as they approached their favorite ice cream shop on South Broadway and Krauss Street.

RELATED: Blaze News original: 10 inspiring examples of Good Samaritans who ran toward danger to help others, often defeating bad guys

"We came out here to try to buy some ice cream, and his window was just shattered," Adonis told KTVI. "So we just started hearing noise, so I just said, 'Who's in here?'"

A male inside the shop told them he was bleeding, KSDK reported — but it turned out to be red syrup on his clothes.

The boys said the alleged burglar was stuck in the shop, KTVI added, and Adonis called Roesch's number — but when he didn’t answer, Adonis called police.

The cousins kept the guy in the shop talking until officers arrived, KSDK said.

The 42-year-old male suspect told police he broke into the ice cream shop because he thought people were following him, KSDK reported, adding that the suspect was taken into custody.

Ephraim Hayes. Image source: St. Louis Police

St. Louis Police told Blaze News that the St. Louis City Circuit Attorney's Office charged Ephraim Hayes with second-degree burglary and first-degree property damage. Police added to Blaze News that court documents appear to indicate that a judge released Hayes on personal recognizance.

"If I didn't have a friendship with these kids, that guy would have walked away scot-free," Roesch later remarked to KTVI.

Jayceon added to KTVI that his friend Roesch doesn't deserve what happened to his shop after all he does for him and Adonis and the whole neighborhood: "I don't know why people do this to him. Like, he's a nice guy. He shouldn't be treated how people treat him."

RELATED: Lone man who stepped up and stopped brutal beating of elderly worker at rap concert tells why he intervened: 'Had to be done'

"I want this to be a lasting experience guiding their future in a positive direction," Roesch told Blaze News in regard to Jayceon and Adonis.

The good news is ramping up, as Roesch added to Blaze News that St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer is coming to Aunt Jamie's on Nov. 8 to present an award — and, of course, to "have an ice cream party."

Roesch told KSDK that the community also is growing: "The properties are coming back. The values increased over the past year, and the businesses are coming back."

But he added to KSDK that Jayceon and Adonis are the real story — and that their actions represent valuable lessons for everybody: "Help people. Be nice to all your adults and peers. Be nice to your elders, and be respectful to your elders."

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'Praise the Lord!' Kidnapped American pastor rescued in South Africa as 3 suspects gunned down in 'high-intensity shoot-out'



An American pastor who was kidnapped by armed men while preaching a sermon in South Africa last week was rescued days later as part of a remarkable mission, according to law enforcement.

As Blaze News previously reported, Josh Sullivan was preaching during a Thursday evening service at the Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell — a township outside Gqeberha in South Africa's Eastern Cape province. Suddenly four armed men abducted Sullivan, who is from Tennessee, in front of his wife and six children.

'Thank you for your support and prayers. Please do not stop praying for the Sullivans.'

The Hawks — a specialized police unit that investigates organized crime, economic crime, corruption, and other serious crimes — reportedly tracked down the kidnappers. On Tuesday, law enforcement engaged in a "high-intensity shoot-out" with alleged kidnappers at a safe house and rescued Sullivan.

The South African Police Service said in a statement, "As officers approached the house, they observed a vehicle on the premises. The suspects inside the vehicle, upon seeing law enforcement, allegedly attempted to flee and opened fire on the team."

"The officers responded with tactical precision, leading to a high-intensity shoot-out in which three unidentified suspects were fatally wounded," police stated.

Law enforcement officers rescued Sullivan from the vehicle, who reportedly was unharmed and in "excellent condition."

The Fellowship Baptist Church in Tennessee stated, "Praise the Lord!" Tom Hatley, the church's pastor, said that "Josh has been released. Thank you for your support and prayers. Please do not stop praying for the Sullivans."

Church secretary Heather Shirley told the Christian Post that God "was the one protecting him and taking care of him. And that's what we were praying for all along, that He would take care of him and bring him home."

Shirley added, "We want to let Josh tell the whole story as he wants to or give us something to give to our people so that they understand exactly how he felt. I don't think any of us can understand how he felt in that situation. I mean, there had to just be a hedge of protection around him, provided by God; that's the only explanation for it."

Sullivan — a self-described "church planting missionary" — arrived in South Africa in 2018 with plans to "finish language school … and plant a church to the Xhosa-speaking people."

Missionary Mark Coffey said of Sullivan, "Josh’s love for the Xhosa people is evident in everything he does. He doesn’t just serve them — he walks with them, learns from them, and pours his life into building lasting relationships rooted in the love of Christ. He often says that learning the Xhosa language wasn’t just about communication — it was about connection."

There were an average of 51 kidnappings every day in the country in 2023, according to the government.

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Police laud Jon Bon Jovi for talking woman down from ledge



Surveillance footage taken Tuesday evening on Nashville's John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge shows a woman in a blue shirt on the wrong side of the railing, looking down at what could have been a deadly plunge into the Cumberland River.

Whereas some pedestrians walked past the distressed woman without showing any signs of slowing, rock star Jon Bon Jovi made his way over to talk her off the ledge.

According to the Tennessean, Bon Jovi was filming a music video on the bridge for his song "The People House."

The musician can be seen walking up to the distressed woman in the company of a production assistant while the rest of his crew keep their distance. Bon Jovi engages the distressed woman while his female production assistant makes physical contact, placing a reassuring hand on her back.

'It takes all of us to help keep each other safe.'

Soon, Bon Jovi and the production assistant can be seen gripping the woman, then helping her over the railing and onto the right side of the pedestrian bridge. As the video crew begins closing the distance, Bon Jovi hugs the woman in blue.

The Metro Nashville Police Department noted on X, "A shout out to @jonbonjovi & his team for helping a woman on the Seigenthaler Ped Bridge Tue night. Bon Jovi helped persuade her to come off the ledge over the Cumberland River to safety.

MNPD Chief John Drake stated, "It takes all of us to help keep each other safe."

The Tennessean indicated that Bon Jovi has declined to speak in detail about the incident out of respect for the privacy of the woman. A source told the New York Post, however, that the musician did what anybody in that situation would have done: lend a helping hand.

The bridge where the incident took place was named after John Siegenthaler, a journalist who once saved a suicidal man's life on the same span.

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Hero fishermen save 38 dogs on the verge of drowning in Mississippi lake



A group of fishermen in Mississippi are being hailed as heroes after saving 38 dogs on the verge of drowning in a lake.

Three fishermen were on a fishing trip in Lake Grenada. Bob Gist – a 61-year-old from Arkansas – went fishing with his friend Brad Carlisle from Tennessee.

Suddenly, the men heard more than three dozen dogs barking.

Gist told Fox News, "Pretty soon we saw some dogs on the horizon in the water."

Fishing guide, Jordan Chrestman, noticed that the dogs were in the water after chasing a deer into the lake.

Gist later learned that the dogs were part of an annual fox run that takes place in the area.

Gist stated, "We went on fishing for about 10 or 15 more minutes, and Jordan [Chrestman] said, 'Hey guys, if you don't mind, we really need to go check on those dogs because they're way out there in that water.'"

The boat navigated Lake Grenada to get close enough to the dogs.

"We're just flabbergasted because it’s dogs everywhere," Gist explained. "They’re all going in different directions because they can no longer see the bank on either side."

Gist added, "They were on the verge of drowning because now they have been treading water for an hour."

The fishermen loaded 27 dogs into the boat and took them to shore. Then they went back and rescued 11 more for a total of 38 dogs rescued.

He noted, "We got back over to the ramp with that last bunch of dogs… [and] we were having to drag them out of the boat because they didn't want to get out of our boat. They were scared they were going back to the water. It was terrible."

Gist continued, "When we first started there was this white one that Brad tried to reach for and the dog bit at him. He moved closer to me, so I tried to reach for him, and he tried to bite me, so we left him. When we came back for the second load it was probably 30-45 minutes later. By that time, he was ready to get in the boat. He wasn’t biting anybody."

Gist pointed out that Chrestman was the true hero of the dog rescue.

"If Brad and I had been there in a boat by ourselves, we wouldn't have known anything was wrong, but that 20-something-year-old kid – I'm 61, so I'm calling him a kid – he knew something needed to be done," Gist said.

The dog owners were reportedly thankful for the fishermen saving their dogs from drowning in the lake. The dog owners offered money to Chrestman as a reward for saving the dogs, but he allegedly refused to accept the money.

Gist posted a photo of the 27 dogs riding in his boat on his Facebook page.

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South Bend cop who helped an abandoned baby meets him 23 years later — all grown up and in a familiar uniform



A baby boy was discarded in the hallway of an apartment complex in South Bend, Indiana, just days before Christmas 2000. Gene Eyster, one of the police officers who dealt with the case and did his part to provide the boy with some comfort while in the hospital, long wondered about the child's fate.

A few weeks ago, the now-retired police lieutenant was not only provided with an update but with an outstretched hand. The boy he had helped, now a man, had done more than survive. He thrived.

South Bend Police Department

'Baby Boy Doe'

The South Bend Tribune reported on Dec. 23, 2000, that a newborn baby had been discovered in the hallway of a Park Jefferson apartment building after midnight. A nearby resident, Christian Rowe, heard the child crying.

"I looked down the hallway and saw a box sitting there," said Rowe.

Rowe indicated he and his friend found a newborn shivering inside a small box, wearing a sleeping outfit and wrapped in blue-green blankets.

"I didn't know what to think," said Rowe. "We brought it inside the apartment to keep it warm."

Rowe and his friend called police, who rushed to the scene with an ambulance in tow.

"It's a heartbreaker for us," said then-Sgt. Ian McQueen of the SBPD's Major Crimes Unit.

According to the SBPD, responding officers roped then-Sgt. Gene Eyster into the investigation, who immediately began seeking answers for the following questions: "How did the baby get there? Was he kidnapped? Was it intentional? Is anyone looking for him?"

Eyster told the Tribune, "Initial examination indicated it may have been a home delivery."

"I want to find the mother and make sure she's OK," said Eyster. "After that, we'll let the chips fall where they fall. ... The priority is care and concern for the child, then the mother, and lastly if there's any criminal intent."

The SBPD indicated that Eyster worked with local media outlets to spread the word about the boy, often referred to in reports as "Baby Boy Doe."

"'Baby Doe' sounded so cruel," said Eyster. "So ... I started calling him 'Baby Jesus' since it was so close to Christmas."

South Bend Police Department

With the hunt underway for answers about the boy's origin, Eyster went out and bought a teddy bear to keep the child company in his hospital crib.

Eyster recently told CBS News that the bear was "just a symbol to let everyone that walked past know that he was cared about."

A subsequent report indicated the baby was found to be in good health and was believed to have been between three and seven days old when left in the entrance to the apartment building.

The mother who abandoned the child after a home delivery later turned herself in to police.

After the boy's medical examination, police indicated he was released to Child Protective Services whose division director at the time indicated there would be some kind of foster-care placement.

In the decades that followed, Eyster wondered what had become of the child, especially whenever he would pass the Park Jefferson apartment complex. There was no finding out, however, since the records were sealed.

South Bend Police Department

Blast from the past

According to SBPD, Eyster, who recently lost his only son, received a call from Officer Josh Morgan last month.

"Gene," said Morgan. "You aren't going to believe this."

Eyster indicated that he remembered virtually everything from his time on the force, especially the case of the abandoned baby at Christmastime.

"He's sitting next to me right now," said Morgan. "He's my rookie!"

"Baby Boy Doe" evidently grew up to become SBP Officer Matthew Hegedus-Stewart.

The department indicated that Morgan pieced together parts of the puzzle after his rookie had mentioned his adoption in infancy and his abandonment when responding to a call regarding a similar incident.

Morgan pulled the thread further, tracking down the original case report, then identifying Eyster as the lead investigator.

On March 22, Eyster met Hegedus-Stewart, noting, "You're a little bit bigger now."

CBS News indicated that Hegedus-Stewart now wears the same uniform Eyster did and patrols the exact same neighborhood.

The SBPD suggested that the rookie "has to wonder if, even subconsciously, this experience motivated him to want to pursue law enforcement."

The rookie told the retired lieutenant in person, "Thank you for everything you did for me."

South Bend Police Department

Hegedus-Stewart told CBS News it was a "full-circle moment that hit home."

Eyster noted that the timing of the reunion, just months after his son's unexpected passing at the age of 36, "couldn't have been any better to help fill a void that I've had to deal with."

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Teen with only months to live gets dream car from dad, special invitation from Ford



A cancer-stricken teen with only months to live recently got his dream car. The 18-year-old also received a special invitation from the CEO of the Ford Motor Company.

The teenager's father, Joe Tegerdine, explained why he gifted his son a Ford Mustang in a post shared on the X social media platform earlier this month.

Tegerdine wrote, "For those wondering why I’d buy my 18yr old son a 330hp Mustang, well, he’s been given months to live and can’t work long enough to buy one himself. His comment on the way home, 'Dad, I’m going to squeeze a few extra months of life just to be able to drive this.'"

The tweet concluded with the hashtag: #cancersucks.

— (@)

The post shared on March 2 went viral with nearly 8,000 retweets, more than 177,000 likes, and almost 14 million views.

The tweet also caught the eye of Ford CEO Jim Farley — who replied by saying, "Hi Joe, I’m so sorry to hear what your family is going through. Please let me know if you and your son would like to attend @FPRacingSchool to experience a @FordMustang Dark Horse on the track. DM me and we’ll make it happen."

Tegerdine connected with Farley about the special invitation for his son Joseph to attend the Ford Performance Racing School.

Tegerdine told the Detroit Free Press, "It was really crazy. That tweet was just kind of random. He sent a direct message to me, saying, 'Hey, you want me to do this?' If it's OK, his guys would get everything set up ... at the Ford Performance Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. They're flying us out there. It's just really cool, and we'll stay in Charlotte for a couple of days. There's a big dinner before school. Then Joseph will be on the track with the (Mustang) Dark Horse."

Joseph said of the offer, "I don't know how to drift. I've always been too scared to go to a parking lot to figure that out, because I'd just hit a light pole or something. I need an instructor, a trainer. Also, I get to drive one of the most powerful Ford track Mustangs there is. This is going to be sick."

The Mustang Dark Horse boasts a 5.0L Ti-VCT V8 engine with 500 horsepower and 418-pound feet of torque. Joseph will get to drive the powerful Ford on the track at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Joseph said he is excited about his own Mustang since it's his dream car.

"I've just liked Mustangs for as long as I can remember. Six-year-old me liked it, the headlights looked cool, and I stuck with it," Joseph explained. "I used to drive this Ford Bronco. It was a big truck, basically. I'd get compliments and I'd feel so manly. We sold that and I started driving my mom's minivan, a Honda Odyssey. I felt like my testosterone was being drained away. Not great."

"You have to live day by day because, day by day, if you look at my life, it’s actually fantastic," Joseph said. "I'm in Japan right now. I've got a car of my dreams, I'm surrounded by tons of people I absolutely adore and I'm going to driving school."

Joseph is also cognizant that he likely only has months to live because of a terminal bone cancer called osteosarcoma.

According to the Mayo Clinic, "Osteosarcoma is a kind of cancer that begins in the cells that form bones. Osteosarcoma tends to happen most often in teenagers and young adults. But it also can happen in younger children and older adults. Osteosarcoma can start in any bone. It's most often found in the long bones of the legs, and sometimes the arms."

Joseph said, "Then you look at the future, and it all starts to break down. I don't really need to look at the future. Morbidly, I don’t really have one. I can’t be, like, 'In a year —' If I get a year, I’ll be extremely lucky."

The father said of his son's cancer diagnosis, "When my son was first diagnosed I had to make a decision. Either curse God and die or try to make the best of a really bad situation. With the perspective of what it would be like to experience sudden loss, I decided to be grateful. Grateful that we’ve had the 18 years to build memories and enjoy him."

"Even now, with the only treatments left to prolong life and manage pain, I’m thankful he’s still with us, squeezing out the best that life can offer under less than ideal circumstances," Tegerdine said. "My heart is still broken, but I know it could be a lot worse."

He noted, "Over the years, I’ve known many parents who have lost their children to sudden tragedy, who never got a chance to say goodbye."

The family is currently on vacation in Japan.

However, Joseph will continue radiation treatment and chemo, plus he'll need to undergo surgery when he gets back home.

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Plane containing a couple and a 2 year old crashed into the woods. A single parachute made all the difference.



A small plane containing a husband, wife, and their 2-year-old daughter took off Friday for Santa Rosa from Shelter Cove Airport in Humboldt County, California. The plane never made it to its destination.

Upon receiving a report of a possible airplane crash nearby Usal Road in Whitethorn around 1:15 p.m., Mendocino County Sheriff's Office deputies — joined by deputies from the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office, the California Highway Patrol, and other first responders — raced to the scene.

First responders scoured the hilly timberland and found an aircraft torn asunder. While the plane was in pieces, the Santa Rosa family was still together. What's more: the child and her 38-year-old parents made off with only minor cuts and scratches.

Five minutes after takeoff, the 2004 Cirrus SR22 single-propeller plane's engine apparently lost power. According to the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office, the pilot attempted to figure out what killed the engine but quickly realized the "plane's altitude was too low for recovery."

Fortunately for the family, the plane was equipped with a Cirrus Airframe Parachute System.

"It sounded like it was a last-resort effort," Captain Quincy Cromer of the MCSO told the Press Democrat.

This whole-plane ballistic parachute recovery system, which has come standard on Cirrus aircraft since 1998, fires out a canopy attached to the fuselage that slows an ill-fated plane's descent in the interest of preserving its crew.

Sure enough, the CAPS worked for the family Friday, carrying their plane over to a heavily wooded and mountainous area straddling the Mendocino-Humboldt County line. While their descent was slowed, it was not arrested altogether. The plane ultimately crashed upside down onto the forest floor, losing its tail in the process.

Shelter Cove Fire Department, among the local departments that responded to the crash, emphasized that "even with the parachute the parties involved were extremely fortunate to only receive minor injuries."

SCFD also expressed gratitude "to Cal Fire Fortuna ECC, Whale Gulch Volunteer Fire Company, Southern Humboldt Technical Rescue Team, USCG Sector Humboldt Bay, City Ambulance, and the quick acting witnesses who aided in locating the victims."

The MCSO suggested that the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the incident.

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Dog helps save elderly owner who fell through the ice: 'Better give the dog a ribeye'



A 65-year-old man walking his dog across a frozen lake Thursday in East Bay Township, Michigan, fell through the ice and into the frigid depths below. Shoreside witnesses called 911, prompting a rapid response by Michigan State Police officer Kammeron Bennetts.

While quick to the scene, Bennetts, 30, still had to figure out how to mount a rescue without similarly ending up trapped on the wrong side of the lake. Fortunately, the waterlogged man's Brittany bird-hunting dog was more than willing to help.

Bodycam footage shows a bystander point out a dog-shadowed gap on Arbutus Lake where the Traverse City man went under. The officer grabs a rescue disc from his cruiser, fastens a rope to it, then heads out onto the ice.

Although able to venture roughly 40 feet away from shore, Bennetts nevertheless falls short of the man's position due to his uncertainty about the solidity of the ice ahead. The officer tosses the rescue disc to the man. While unsuccessful, the initial attempt excites the dog, giving Bennetts an idea.

"You revert to the tools in front of you. I only had a dog in front of me, so use the dog," Bennetts later told People. "I saw she was ready to go to work."

"Send your pup here. Will she come to me?" Bennetts can be heard yelling to the man steeped in freezing water.

The man indicates the dog's name is Ruby.

"Ruby, come here! Come here, Ruby!" yells the officer.

After some whistling and another summons, the dog comes bolting over to Bennetts.

"Will she get ahold of this?" asks the officer, coiling the rope. Ruby quickly indicates she's ready to do that and more.

After fastening the disc and rope to Ruby's collar, Bennetts yells, "Call her! Call her!"

Bennetts, who has been on the force for two years, later indicated, "Within a minute your dexterity in your fingers goes, you lose speech, you lose everything."

Although ultimately in the water for 16 minutes, the Traverse City man nevertheless manages to call Ruby. The dog brings the disc over to her master. With a direct line to the man, Bennetts tells him to take the disc and begin kicking his legs.

The MSP officer begins pulling the man to shore with Ruby providing emotional support. A firefighter from Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department soon leaps into action, joining Bennetts in the rescue.

After the incident, the officer suggested to the Traverse City man, "You better give the dog a ribeye."

According to the MSP, the man was transported by ambulance to Munson Medical Center and later released.

The MSP Seventh District stated on X, "Great team work and well done!"

The MSP Sixth District noted, "What a good girl!!! ... Creative thinking helped save a life!!!"

— (@)

Michigan State Police Lt. Derrick Carroll told People, "Everyone is impressed by [Bennetts'] ability to take control of the situation and his ability to think outside the box to rescue the man in such a timely manner."

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9-year-old abducted while on family camping trip found alive in cupboard of suspect's trailer: Governor



Charlotte Sena, a 9-year-old girl from Saratoga County, went missing Saturday while on a camping trip with family in upstate New York. Police suspected that she had been abducted and was "in imminent danger of serious harm and/or death."

Hundreds of first responders, family members, and friends scoured Moreau Lake State Park and the surrounding area for the girl, hoping to find the child unscathed.

Following a tactical raid on a trailer just miles away from the family's home, New York State Police announced Monday night that the fourth-grader had been found "safe and in good health."

According to Gov. Kathy Hochul, Charlotte's "abductor is behind bars."

While police employed various high-tech aids in their search, it appears what ultimately led them to the girl was the suspect's brazenness.

What's the background?

TheBlaze previously reported that the NYSP issued an AMBER Alert Sunday morning, indicating that the girl, from Greenfield, New York, had been abducted on Saturday around 6:45 p.m. near Moreau Lake State Park, Loop A, Site 18, in Gansevoort. The alert noted the girl "was taken under circumstances that lead police to believe that they are in imminent danger of serious harm and/or death."

Missing posters noted that the girl is blonde, green-eyed, 4 feet 6 inches tall and 90 pounds, and had last been seen wearing her bike helmet, an orange Pokemon shirt, and dark blue pants.

Charlotte Sena was out bike-riding with friends but had elected to do one more loop down a paved road, which cut through a heavily wooded area.

When she didn't return after 15 minutes, her family began looking for her.

Police indicated that her bicycle was located in Loop A around 6:45. Two minutes later, her mom called 911 to report Charlotte missing.

Bloodhounds, divers, forest rangers, air boats, ATVs, and drones were deployed in the search that followed, which ultimately involved roughly 400 people. The FBI and 34 volunteer fire departments also jumped in to assist state and local law enforcement.

Moreau Lake State Park was closed to the public, and the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily restricted the airspace over the park to protect search aircraft.

Trisha, Charlotte Sena's mother, told the Albany Times Union her daughter is a "good kid" and "trusting," stressing, "I just want my daughter back."

The Sena family told NBC News in a statement, "We just want her returned safely like any parent would. No tip is too small, please call if you know anything at all."

Hand-delivered evidence

Hochul told CNN that around 4:20 a.m. on Monday, the suspect "literally drove up to the family's mailbox assuming they were not home" and left an apparent ransom note.

The NYSP had been monitoring the home while the child's parents continued their search in Monreau Lake State Park. However, when the suspect hand-delivered the note, police were absent, having reportedly been called to another scene. While thus able to slip away, the suspect unwittingly left critical evidence behind: his fingerprints on the letter.

"That was instrumental in leading us directly to the suspect," added Hochul.

The police reportedly tested the note for fingerprints and searched law enforcement databases for a match. Although unsuccessful in their first attempt, the second search resulted in an apparent match to fingerprints from a 1999 DUI conviction in Saratoga, according to Newsweek.

After investigators identified 46-year-old Craig Nelson Ross Jr. as their suspect and ascertained that he was living in a trailer behind his mother's home on Barrett Road, Milton, two SWAT teams were dispatched.

Around 20 Special Operations Response Team members and an FBI SWAT team reportedly made entry just after 6 p.m. on Monday.

"They had what they call a dynamic entry tactical maneuver, and within the camper they located the suspect," said Hochul.

Ross got banged up in the process, having reportedly resisted arrest.

— (@)

Police found the 9-year-old stowed away in a cabinet in the trailer.

"She knew she was being rescued," said Hochul. "She knew she was in safe hands."

"Law enforcement teams were relentless in finding this little girl — putting the pieces together and leaving no cabin unturned — to bring Charlotte home to her parents," Hochul wrote on X. "Charlotte is safe and her abductor is behind bars tonight."

The Albany Times Union indicated that Ross' arrest was made less than three hours after NYSP said the search had been expanded over 46 linear miles.

It is unclear whether Ross knew of the Sena family prior to the abduction; however, Newsweek noted that his car registration is listed at an address near the Sena family home.

FBI joins search for missing 9-year-old Charlotte Senayoutu.be

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