BAY VILLAGE, Ohio — Bay Village Police are investigating what they’re calling an altercation between a 10-year-old girl and a 53-year-old man.
What’s usually a peaceful walk from the bus for 10-year-old Briana Womack turned quite scary Monday afternoon.
“There's like some pink rubber ball that's on the sidewalk, and I pick it up, I started playing with it,” said Womack.
But then, she says, a man in a Jeep started following her and yelling.
“Right, when the guy pulls up, he goes, 'get in my car,' and I don't know this guy. I never seen him before,” said Womack.
Womack says the man yelled at her nearly three times to get in his car as she took off running down the street. Those words were also heard by Eric Nicholson, who was surveying the neighborhood for AT&T when he saw the interaction.
"I approached her and asked if she knew him. Her, responding to me, very frightened, and then she started crying, which was a trigger response, I’m assuming, so then she shook her head and said no, multiple times,” said Nicholson.
Bay Village police told News 5 a 53-year-old man has been taken into custody following an argument with a 10-year-old girl Monday afternoon near Bayfair Drive and Columbia Court, adding that the incident is still under investigation.
As Womack’s mom, Anna Foran, is still processing what happened.
“Nobody wants to think that some strange person tries to take your baby, your child,” said Foran.
She’s thankful for the people who looked out for her daughter and says they will stay extra vigilant moving forward.
“I feel like she is such a brave girl, because she did handle herself so well, and she was very responsible about it, and for a 10-year-old, so that was big girl style. So I do pat myself on the back as a parent for that one, you know, but I mean, it's horrible, I don't, I will never get over this," said Foran.
