Prentiss Weatherford was in the right place at the right time when he witnessed the kidnapping of a 6-year-old girl. He followed the suspect in his own car and was able to provide a partial license plate and vehicle description to police.
The hero whose quick thinking led to the capture of a suspected kidnapper and the rescue of a little girl is speaking out to Inside Edition. Prentiss Weatherford says he was outside his home in Louisville, Kentucky, when he saw a 6-year-old girl on her bike being abducted.
“He just walked up, grabbed her by the collar, picked her up off the bike, and then just tossed her in the passenger seat,” Weatherford told Inside Edition.
Weatherford actually jumped into his own car and chased after the suspect. He was able to get a partial license plate number and note the type of the car — a red Dodge Challenger.
“We lost him and ran into one of the police officers, and that's when I gave him the last three of the license plate,” Weatherford said.
An entire police division joined the hunt. Ten minutes later, the search was over, and the suspect gave up without a struggle. Weatherford got to the scene and shot video of the bust going down.
When officers opened the suspect’s car door, the girl was safe in the front seat.
The cops who rescued the girl praised Weatherford for his actions.
“It was extremely important. The partial plate and the overall description of the car, which was really specific, we were able to find that vehicle because of that,” Officer Jason Burba said.
To the people calling him a hero, Weatherford says, “Thank you for the kind words. I really appreciate it and just hope you guys would do the same in that situation.”
The suspect has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping a minor.
