ST. LOUIS — Imagine watching your kids playing in the backyard, and in a matter of seconds, a strange man approaches them and tries to take them away.
That's what St. Louis police said happened Saturday in south St. Louis. Otis Woodard, 40, is behind bars and facing a felony charge of attempted kidnapping.
Police said it happened on Iron Street, which is about two minutes away from Carondelet Park.
St. Louis police said a mother was watching her 3-year-old son play in the backyard Saturday when she saw a man matching Woodard's description on her surveillance camera. The mom alleged Woodard was trying to lead her son away from their home.
The mom then ran outside, shouted at him to 'let go' of her child and brought her son inside. The suspect then followed the mom and son towards the door and then sat on their porch.
According to a probable cause statement, the victim's grandmother then arrived on the scene and confronted the suspect, but she went back to her car after spotting him with what appeared to be a knife.
Woodard then left the scene and was found just a few blocks away from the victim's home with a steel wine opener, according to police.
Woodard had his initial appearance in court on Monday. He is in jail with no bond and will have his initial bond hearing Tuesday afternoon.
5 On Your Side spoke to the shaken up grandmother on Monday. She didn't want to show her face for safety.
"My grandbaby could've been snatched up! I've never seen (the suspect)," she said. "They were all playing on the water slides and in the swimming pool and I was letting them enjoy themselves. I saw this man walk up and he asked my daughter for a cigarette and she gave him one and then he sat on the porch. He grabbed my grandson by the hand, we ain't having that," she added.
She said he also tried to get into their cars and asked for a ride.
"He walked around the corner and I told my daughter call the police because something ain't right with him," she said.
Surveillance video with a timestamp of 6:27 p.m. showed the man drop a wine opener on the ground as he approached the home.
The grandma said, "It happened so fast. You need to watch your kids, they can't even come outside and play no more. Justice, I just need justice."
Amy Robins of Children's Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louis explained 90% of these cases involve someone known to the victim.
"This was out of the blue, it makes me think of the importance of talking with our kids early and often of anyone who has potential to do something unwanted or in harm's way," Robins added.
Robins advises to have these conversations as early as the child can talk.
Robins shared, "Tell their kids to trust their gut, that feeling icky feeling when something doesn’t feel right and find your trusted adult in that moment."
As for the victim's grandma, she's glad they spoke up.
"There was team work, there was nobody but God," she said.
Here are the top five things you need to do to keep your children safe:
- Know where your children are at all times and make sure they check in with you before going anywhere.
- Show your kids safe places they can play, including safe roads and paths they can take.
- Explain to your children to trust their instincts and if they run into an adult that makes them uncomfortable, they should get away as fast as possible.
- Teach your kids to be assertive and make sure they know it's okay to say 'no' to an adult.
- Encourage your children to play with others, since there's always safety in numbers.
Something else you can teach your kids is "No, Go, Yell, Tell." If your child is in a dangerous situation, they should say 'no,' run away, yell as loud as they can and tell a trusted adult what happened immediately.
Resources for crime victims
If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On Your Side has compiled a list of resources.
The Crime Victim Center of St. Louis has multiple programs to support victims of crime. Crime Victim Center’s programs range from direct services to crime victims as well as “creating awareness and change within the systems they encounter.”
Life Outside of Violence "helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence."
The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has the Neighborhood Healing Network, which serves people who have experienced crime, violence or been the victim of an incident that caused trauma.
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