A man has been taken into custody in northeastern Colorado following an alleged attempt to kidnap an 8-year-old girl from her bedroom. Sterling Police Department identified the suspect as a 56-year-old male who invaded a home on Walnut Street in the quiet hours between 1 and 2 a.m., according to 9News. Officers were alerted and responded to the scene around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, where the suspect is believed to have entered and exited through an unlocked back door.
The girl, who bravely confronted the intruder, managed to fight off the attacker. "The girl was assaulted inside of her room and fought with [the suspect] before he fled," officials reported, as recounted by The Sacramento Bee. Details regarding the relationship between the suspect and the child were not immediately clear, leaving a pressing silence heavy with unspoken fears and questions within the community.
The individual apprehended, named Gallegos, now faces a slate of serious charges, including first-degree burglary, second-degree assault, attempted second-degree kidnapping, third-degree assault, and child abuse. Confirming that the frightening ordeal was the act of a sole individual, Sterling police have emphasized that there are no other suspects involved in the crime and reassured the public that there is no further threat to the community, as reported by KDVR.
