A man has been arrested after he entered a home under cover of darkness and attempted to abduct a sleeping child, Fairfax County Police Department said in a press release Friday.
“I’m traumatized to be quite honest with you. She is 4 years old,” the child’s mother told WTTG in an exclusive interview Friday.
“It’s not that she’s not comfortable, but you can tell there are signs of trauma that’s left behind from this, and I’m going to have to get her some type of counseling as well as myself.”
Police say 24-year-old Hyrum Baquedano Rodriguez attempted to abduct the little girl from her apartment in the 7500 block of Little River Turnpike around 4 a.m. Jun 15.
The sound of her daughter’s screams coupled with the sound of the window blinds shaking woke the mother. When the mother rushed in, she saw the living room window to their apartment was open and her little one was on the floor. The child told her mother someone had grabbed her, police also said.
Rodriguez reportedly scrambled out the same window through which he came when the mother entered, according to WTTG.
Though police searched the area, they did not immediately locate the suspect.
Police did, however, recover a fingerprint from the scene which helped them identify Rodriguez. He was arrested the next day for burglary of an occupied dwelling and attempted abduction of a juvenile. Police report Rodriguez is being held with no bond.
The mother whose child was nearly abducted told WTTG she wants to ensure no one else has the same experience she and her daughter did. She encourages other parents to consider installing security systems in their homes.
On the night of the alleged attempted abduction, the little girl was sleeping in the room with the window slightly ajar. The window was open because the air conditioner was broken, WTTG reported.
The window through which Rodriguez allegedly gained entry is now fitted with an alarm that triggers whenever the window is opened. In addition, the bottom portion of the window is now blocked with a piece of wood in such a way that prevents it being opened wide enough for a person to slip through.
Watch coverage from WTTG below showing the interior of the apartment and the chair in which the little girl was sleeping when Rodriguez allegedly attempted to grab her and then ran away.
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