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This is our wonderful judicial system in Charles County.
Maryland Independent - November 23, 2007 -
A 26-year-old Suitland man was arrested last Friday and charged with the attempted kidnapping of a Waldorf girl earlier this month.
The relief of an arrest was short-lived for the girl’s family, however, when they learned the suspect is currently out on bond.
‘‘It was great news when we heard he’s been arrested,” said the girl’s father, whose name is not being revealed to protect the child’s identity. ‘‘But now he’s been released.”
Police said John Hansberry III admitted to Charles County sheriff detectives that he was on Clayton Court in Waldorf on Nov. 6 when he asked a 10-year-old girl, who had just gotten off of a school bus and was headed home, for directions and if she wanted a ride.
According to police reports, after Hansberry approached the girl, who continued walking, he got out of his vehicle and reached for something inside of it. Hansberry allegedly threatened to shoot the girl if she didn’t get in the vehicle, police said.
The girl kept walking, made it to a neighbor’s house and told her parents.
‘‘The most impressive thing was she felt that it was less dangerous to get shot than to get into that van,” said the girl’s mother.
She said in addition to past chats about the danger of strangers, she’s allowed the child to watch select Oprah broadcasts on safety.
It might be those lessons that kept the girl safe, steadily walking backward away from and maintaining a distance between herself and Hansberry and soaking up details to relay to police.
‘‘She did the right thing and kept herself out of danger,” said Maj. Joseph C. Montminy, spokesman for the sheriff’s office. ‘‘She did a remarkable job paying attention to details.”
The recent incident wasn’t the first time this happened to a girl in the Wakefield area, according to Montminy.
A man matching Hansberry’s description and driving the same vehicle — a white van with blue lettering — had approached another girl, asking for directions, two or three weeks before to the Nov. 16 incident.
The van that Hansberry was operating belonged to a company in Capitol Heights, according to police, and Hansberry matched the description that was provided by the girl as the man who had approached her.
The girl, whose family has lived on their ‘‘quiet, safe cul-de-sac” for 13 years, is her parent’s only child. While she nears her 11th birthday and her parents were just comfortable with letting her have some independence, the girl’s father said those plans have gone out the window.
‘‘We’ve adjusted our schedules,” he said. ‘‘I’m waiting for her every day to get off that school bus.”
Hansberry was arrested at his home without incident and charged with attempted kidnapping and first- and second-degree assault.
Maryland Independent - November 23, 2007 -
A 26-year-old Suitland man was arrested last Friday and charged with the attempted kidnapping of a Waldorf girl earlier this month.
The relief of an arrest was short-lived for the girl’s family, however, when they learned the suspect is currently out on bond.
‘‘It was great news when we heard he’s been arrested,” said the girl’s father, whose name is not being revealed to protect the child’s identity. ‘‘But now he’s been released.”
Police said John Hansberry III admitted to Charles County sheriff detectives that he was on Clayton Court in Waldorf on Nov. 6 when he asked a 10-year-old girl, who had just gotten off of a school bus and was headed home, for directions and if she wanted a ride.
According to police reports, after Hansberry approached the girl, who continued walking, he got out of his vehicle and reached for something inside of it. Hansberry allegedly threatened to shoot the girl if she didn’t get in the vehicle, police said.
The girl kept walking, made it to a neighbor’s house and told her parents.
‘‘The most impressive thing was she felt that it was less dangerous to get shot than to get into that van,” said the girl’s mother.
She said in addition to past chats about the danger of strangers, she’s allowed the child to watch select Oprah broadcasts on safety.
It might be those lessons that kept the girl safe, steadily walking backward away from and maintaining a distance between herself and Hansberry and soaking up details to relay to police.
‘‘She did the right thing and kept herself out of danger,” said Maj. Joseph C. Montminy, spokesman for the sheriff’s office. ‘‘She did a remarkable job paying attention to details.”
The recent incident wasn’t the first time this happened to a girl in the Wakefield area, according to Montminy.
A man matching Hansberry’s description and driving the same vehicle — a white van with blue lettering — had approached another girl, asking for directions, two or three weeks before to the Nov. 16 incident.
The van that Hansberry was operating belonged to a company in Capitol Heights, according to police, and Hansberry matched the description that was provided by the girl as the man who had approached her.
The girl, whose family has lived on their ‘‘quiet, safe cul-de-sac” for 13 years, is her parent’s only child. While she nears her 11th birthday and her parents were just comfortable with letting her have some independence, the girl’s father said those plans have gone out the window.
‘‘We’ve adjusted our schedules,” he said. ‘‘I’m waiting for her every day to get off that school bus.”
Hansberry was arrested at his home without incident and charged with attempted kidnapping and first- and second-degree assault.
