Denis Villalobos allegedly tried to kidnap a child from a Walmart in Cornelius, Oregon (Washington County Sheriff”s Office).
The unsettling event unfolded on the evening of December 21 at a Walmart in Cornelius, a town situated approximately 25 miles from Portland, according to a statement from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were dispatched to the Walmart at 220 N. Adair Street following reports of an attempted kidnapping. The suspect allegedly tried to snatch a child from a stroller, but the child’s father quickly intervened, preventing the abduction and engaging in a physical confrontation with the suspect, authorities confirmed.
During the altercation, the suspect reportedly brandished a knife, which he subsequently dropped before fleeing the scene in a white Jeep. Fortunately, the father escaped with only minor injuries.
Thanks to eyewitnesses who noted the suspect’s license plate, deputies were able to locate the vehicle shortly thereafter. The suspect, identified as 37-year-old Denis Villalobos, was arrested and taken into custody.
Witnesses wrote down the license plate and cops found the vehicle a short distance away. The vehicle’s owner, 37-year-old Denis Villalobos, was identified as the alleged suspect and deputies took him into custody.
A grand jury indicted Villalobos on charges of attempted kidnapping, assault, unlawful use of a weapon and menacing. Surveillance cameras captured the incident and the moments leading up to it.
“He looks like he’s staring at the child as the family walks by. And they don’t even know who he is,” Washington County Sheriff’s Cpl. David Huey told local CBS affiliate KOIN. “It’s almost as if the suspect was stalking them in a sense.”
KOIN interviewed the child’s mother.
“It’s kind of scary,” she said. “Especially the fact that he lives around this neighborhood. It’s actually nice to live in a small community where we have the police department around the area doing their job and very close by. So we’re, we’re very thankful for that.”
Villalobos remains at the Washington County Jail. He is slated to appear before a judge on Monday.
