A gas station clerk in Michigan is being praised for his quick actions after helping rescue a 16-year-old girl who authorities said had been kidnapped at gunpoint while on her way to school.
Police said the teen was waiting for a school bus in Hamtramck on April 13 when a man she did not know allegedly abducted her. Investigators said the suspect later drove her to a Sunoco gas station in nearby Detroit, where clerk Abdulrahman Abohatem was working.
According to authorities, Abohatem became suspicious when the man asked the teenager to pay for cigarettes. The girl then silently mouthed the word “help” to him.
Recognizing the danger, Abohatem left the protected cashier area, positioned himself between the girl and the man, and ordered the suspect to leave the store. His actions created a barrier between the teen and the alleged kidnapper until officers arrived.
Police said some of the girl’s classmates had witnessed the abduction earlier that morning and tracked the location of her cellphone. They relayed that information to law enforcement, helping officers locate the gas station.
As police arrived, Abohatem pointed out the suspect, who was then taken into custody.
Authorities identified the man as Donald Fields, 48, a registered sex offender. Police said he faces charges including kidnapping, criminal sexual conduct, unlawful gun possession, felonious assault and being a habitual offender. A judge ordered him held without bond.
The teen was later reunited with her family.
Frontier International Academy, where the girl attends school, said it was grateful the student had been safely recovered and noted the quick arrest of the suspect.
Hamtramck Police Chief Hussein Farhat said the rescue could have ended far worse without the combined efforts of the victim, her classmates and Abohatem.
Hamtramck Mayor Adam Alharbi also praised the response, calling it an example of community vigilance and commending the teenager for courageously seeking help.
Community support has since grown around Abohatem, with reports that members of the local Yemeni American community have rallied behind him as he prepares for his upcoming wedding.
Abohatem downplayed his role, saying he was simply glad to help save someone.
Source: The Guardian