HILLIARD, Ohio (WCMH) – A volunteer at an Ohio festival stopped a would-be kidnapping, according to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.
Ketema Faye, 20, faces a felony charge of abduction after being taken into custody Saturday afternoon. According to court records, Faye helped set up an inflatable bounce house at the festival, but stayed at the festival after the setup was finished.
Faye allegedly grabbed a 6-year-old child exiting the bounce house at the festival. The sheriff’s office said Faye then tried to lead the child by the hand away from the bounce house and through the festival entrance.
The festival was taking place at an ISKCON Temple outside of Columbus. ISKCON stands for International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
The child’s parents were also volunteers at the festival. The father said he only looked away for a matter of seconds to help another child, then realized his own child was gone. According to Sgt. Brian Toth of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Faye, who is unassociated with the temple, had grabbed the child’s hand and started walking towards the exit.
The child said they wanted to go back to their father, but according to Toth, Faye shushed child, tightened his grip, and kept walking as the child tried to pull away.
This is when a volunteer noticed something was wrong.
“She asked, ‘Is this your child?’ and Mr. Faye responded, ‘Yes,’ and the child spoke up and said, ‘No, this isn’t my dad,'” Toth said. “That worker thwarted off this abduction.”
Toth said this volunteer’s life-saving actions are a prime example of why speaking up and teaching your children about stranger danger can save lives.
“Speak up, let the adults know, let someone know around you, yell loud, scream, make a scene there,”
Toth said.
Court records indicated Faye received a $25,000 cash surety bond at his arraignment on Monday. A judge scheduled his preliminary hearing for July 5. The sheriff’s office asked anyone with more information about this case to call its Detective Bureau at 614-525-3350.