10-year-old pulls younger brother away from woman trying to kidnap them, Ohio cops say

Two young children were walking home from the nearby bowling alley when a woman tried to kidnap them, according to authorities in Ohio.

As their mom was waiting for them to return on Sunday, Aug. 21, a woman went up to the boys and tried to get their attention, according to a Scioto County Sheriff’s Office news release.

The children reported the woman — later identified as Rachael Anne Enriquez, 52 — “was doing some type of hand gesture and approached the 7-year-old and patted his pants’ pockets,” according to the news release.

That’s when they say she grabbed the younger child by his arm and tried to walk away while saying “I won’t hurt you.”

“The 10-year-old, who was still holding the 7-year-old’s hand, began pulling hard trying to free himself from the woman’s grasp,” authorities said.

The older sibling managed to free themselves, officials say, and they “ran as fast as they could back to the bowling alley to get help.”

Detectives described the children as “visibly upset and shaken by what they experienced.”

The Portsmouth Police Department helped find Enriquez as she was walking away from the area, according to the news release.

The New Boston, Ohio, woman is charged with kidnapping and a probation violation. She is being held without bond.

Portsmouth is about four miles southwest of New Boston and 110 miles southeast of Cincinnati.

This story was originally published August 22, 2022 at 2:36 PM with the headline "10-year-old pulls younger brother away from woman trying to kidnap them, Ohio cops say."