An 18-year-old accused of trying to kidnap a small child in broad daylight on a bustling street in D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood on Tuesday has been arrested, police said.
The arrest came more than 24 hours after a suspect grabbed the little boy on the 3100 block of M Street NW. The family fought off the would-be kidnapper in a scene that looked “like a tug of war,” according to a witness who did not want to be identified.
Emilio Rizo, of Rockville, Maryland, is charged with kidnapping, police said in an update.
The Metropolitan Police Department said Thursday that an officer on patrol spotted a man fitting the suspect's description overnight.
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Police issued a new lookout. A man matching that description was seen on a Metrobus near City Center DC, then arrested when he disembarked near 1100 11th Street NW, police said.
The man was questioned and taken into custody. Charges are pending, police said.
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The nightmare for a family began about 2:32 p.m. Tuesday, police said.
The unidentified witness said the family was loading the toddler into a car in front of the Urban Outfitters in Georgetown when the attempted kidnapping occurred.
Rizo allegedly struck up a conversation with the young victim, then grabbed him and tried to run away, police said Thursday.
The family fought off the would-be kidnapper, and the suspect took off down the street before police arrived.
The witness said he called 911 after the family said, “He tried to take our baby, he tried to take our baby.”
“I saw two guys like fighting over this child,” the witness said. “The person who tried to kidnap this child, he just walked up and tried to grab him, like literally grab and they – it was like a tug of war.”
No serious injuries were reported, but according to witnesses, the family and especially the little boy were understandably shaken up.
“I wish I could do more for the family. I wish I knew at that point in time when I first saw what was going on,” the witness said. “I was just like, did this really happen? Like, are you serious? I’m like, broad daylight, the street was packed with people, on the street right in front of Urban Outfitters.”
It’s not known if the suspect knew the child or if the attempted kidnapping was random. Anyone with information can contact police.
