A man was arrested in Portland, Oregon, after allegedly trying to kidnap a 7-year-old girl at a park on Saturday evening. Daniel C. Vasey is charged with multiple counts including attempted kidnapping.
The incident occurred near Southwest Naito Parkway when emergency calls began at 6:51 p.m. reporting a naked man running through the area. Minutes later, a caller reported that the man had grabbed the girl and was pulling her away from her mother.
According to the Portland Police Bureau, the struggle lifted the child off the ground. Her parents and bystanders intervened by punching, slapping, and pulling on the suspect, with one bystander using pepper spray. Vasey was arrested while wading naked in the Willamette River.
The girl suffered scratches but did not require hospitalization. She and her family were visiting Portland from out of state. Vasey faces charges of first-degree attempted kidnapping, second-degree attempted kidnapping, first-degree custodial interference, third-degree assault, and harassment.