Terrifying footage has captured the moment a man allegedly tried to kidnap a six-year-old girl from her own front yard in Ohio, before casually walking off down the street when the child screamed and ran into her home.
Video from a Ring doorbell camera shows the little girl taking the trash out to a garbage can at the end of the garden at her house in Hamilton.
A man, later identified as 33-year-old Deric McPherson, is seen walking up to her and appearing to try to grab the little girl.
When the six-year-old manages to get away, the suspect appears to give up and takes a few steps away before turning back towards her, grabbing her wrist and trying to pull her down the sidewalk with him.
In the video, the terrified little girl is heard letting out a bloodcurdling scream as she manages to pull herself free and runs back inside the house to her parents.
The suspect is seen calmly strolling off down the street.
According to court documents and the victim’s parents, the suspect also groped the little girl during the attempted abduction.
The victim’s mother told WLWT that her daughter had come running into the house and told her that someone had groped her and tried to kidnap her.
“All I hear is blood-curdling scream,” she said.
Doorbell video shows moment man tries to abduct six-year-old girl
(WTLX)
“I come in, like, ‘What’s wrong? What’s wrong?’ She says, ‘Somebody tried to kidnap me. Some man tried to take me, and he grabbed my private parts.’”
The child’s father went to look for the perpetrator on foot before jumping into his car to try to find him.
Separate surveillance footage then captured Mr McPherson trying to hide between vehicles at a nearby auto shop.
Hamilton Police were called to the scene and arrested the 33-year-old.
He was charged with gross sexual imposition and abduction and is being held in Butler County Jail on the charges.
Deric McPherson has been charged with gross sexual imposition and abduction
(Hamilton Police)
The little girl’s parents said that they had previously spoken to their daughter about what to do if a stranger approached her and tried to abduct her.
They believe that the six-year-old acting on that saved her from being taken by the assailant.
“I’ve always told her that if somebody ever touches her, talks to her or grabs her, make a scene, scream as loud as she can and fight,” her father told the outlet.
“She screamed bloody murder and pulled against him and got away from him.”