A 12-year-old North Carolina girl managed to escape an alleged kidnapping and flag down a passing driver after authorities say she was taken by a 38-year-old man.
Daniel Francis Gear was arrested Sunday, Aug. 16, and charged with first-degree kidnapping and assault on a female, according to jail records.
The frightening ordeal began just before 1 p.m. in Lillington, North Carolina, when the girl, Gear and Gear’s pickup truck were reported missing from a home, according to local reports.
The Harnett County Sheriff’s Office quickly launched a major search with help from the Erwin Police Department.
Deputies brought in K-9 teams and drones as they searched for the missing child and Gear, who authorities warned could be armed and dangerous.
The search eventually took a dramatic turn when the 12-year-old reportedly managed to get away.
According to WNCN, the girl was found walking along Highway 421 after escaping and successfully flagging down a passing motorist for help.
Gear’s pickup truck was later found abandoned nearby.
Authorities continued searching the area before eventually locating Gear along a wooded section near the highway and taking him into custody.
Sheriff Wayne Coats told WRAL that the girl had been at Gear’s home before the alleged kidnapping because she was visiting a friend.
Neighbors told WNCN that the child regularly spent time with Gear’s teenage niece at the house.
Court records cited by local outlets accuse Gear of unlawfully restraining the girl and moving her without permission from her legal guardian.
He is also accused of assaulting her by pushing her to the ground and physically restraining her.
The girl was taken to a hospital following the ordeal and has since been recovering with her family.
A neighbor, Susan Powers, whose 14-year-old daughter is friends with the girl, said the incident stunned families in the community.
“My daughter, she’s 14, and when she found out, she was, of course, really sad because they’re really close,” Powers told WNCN.
“It’s just, it was a sad, sad event. I feel for her parents. And, you know, they’re our friends.”
Powers said the case was a painful reminder that frightening incidents can happen even in familiar neighborhoods.
“And you would never think that would hit this close to home,” she said. “You know, and no child deserves to go through that.”
Gear is being held at the Harnett County Detention Center on a $2.5 million secured bond.
The investigation remains ongoing.
I would like people to know that the death penalty was required for kidnapping in the Bible. It is that serious.