Every year, 460,000 children go missing. 5,000 of them have been abducted. These are the kinds of figures that would make any parent scared.
Brenda James didn’t want her child to become a statistic.
She and her children had a discussion. They devised a strategy to ensure that they did not associate with people they were not meant to associate with. She was inspired by an essay regarding the usage of code words.
She said in an interview that they understand who can and cannot pick them up. But there’s always the possibility of meeting someone they don’t know or don’t know well, which is why they devised a code word.
On a Wednesday afternoon, Brenda’s greatest dread came true.
Maddison, her daughter, was out walking with a friend near a park. Then a guy came up beside them.
According to the cops, t he guy informed the girl that her brother had been in a major accident and that she had to accompany him.
Even though she was terrified, the little girl managed to think clearly.
Maddison didn’t just say yes and walk away with him. Despite her concern for her brother, she initially asked the guy what the code word was.
After hearing the query, the guy hesitated for a moment before driving away. Something horrible may have occurred to her if it hadn’t been for the code word.
Maddison then called her mother. Brenda revealed that her daughter contacted her, upset, and said that someone attempted to abduct her. He informed her that his brother had been in a catastrophic accident and that she needed to accompany him home.
Brenda jumped in her vehicle and went home after hearing her tale.
Thankfully, her daughter was not harmed. She was able to avoid being kidnapped.
The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office applauded the girl’s parents for educating her on how to avoid being contacted by strangers.
Sheriff Mark Lamb said, the mother of this youngster did an amazing job teaching her child a code phrase, which may have saved that girl’s life.
They are pushing other parents to follow suit.
He went on to say tthey hope that by getting this out there, it will inspire parents to have that talk and make a plan with their kids so they understand what to do if they find themselves in that scenario.
Numerous children have reported seeing the guy driving around the neighborhood many times a day.
Since he hid much of his face with his hand, it was difficult to obtain a thorough drawing of him. He did it to hide any distinguishing traits. Yet, according to the police inquiry, the individual was in his 40s. He had a short beard and was driving a car that looked like a Ford Explorer.
Maddison discussed this tale in more detail; you can see her interview below.
