It's a nightmare for any parent: a three-year old boy walking the family dog with his sister in Manheim Township is grabbed by a stranger who takes off running. One resident said, "It's very scary." Donna Ponessa, who also lives in Manheim Township, said, "The thought that it could happen so close to home is absolutely horrendous."
As soon as the man grabbed the boy and started running, his sister chased him and started screaming. The boy was also screaming, which police said is the right thing to do. The children made so much noise in the 1900 block of Oregon Pike, the man dropped the boy and ran away.
"At that age you’re defenseless. Your only hope is to have someone come to your defense and obviously this girl came to her brother’s defense which is fantastic," said Ana Russo, who lives in Lancaster.
Russo also has a three-year old son, and said she's talked to her boy about what to do if this were to happen to him. "I have told him that you scream and yell and to specifically say this is not my mom, this is not my dad. If it's a man obviously say it's not your dad. Because then that differentiates this is not a child having a meltdown or temper tantrum, this is a child that needs help," said Russo.
Both the boy and his sister weren't injured, but the man is still at large. "Someone who's going to do that once, I wouldn't be surprised to see them do it again. So I wouldn't feel comfortable knowing he's out there," said Russo. The police describe the suspect as a “possibly Hispanic” male, about 5 feet, 8 inches tall with a thin build and clean shaven. He was last seen carrying a black backpack with green zippers running towards Crooked Oak Drive in Manheim Township. If anyone has seen him call the Manheim Township Police.