T. P. Brown Jr., a Good Samaritan, helped a couple in Portland to track down their son's kidnapper last Friday according to Portland Police.
According to reports, it was around 8:00 a.m. near 4000 Block Northeast 16th Avenue when the suspect jumped off a car and drove it off while a 3-year-old boy was sitting at the back seat. The father of the child who was nearby got into his car and quickly followed the suspect.
Meanwhile, Brown was on his way to work when he spotted the chase between the father and the suspect about a mile from where the chase started.
"I hear a Prius (father's car) screaming down the side of me," Brown said in an interview. "Had the lights flashing, honking the horn, almost as if a cop would do when he's trying to get through an intersection."
"Oh wow! This is, this is happening," he told himself as he witnessed Prius make contact with the other car in an almost pit maneuver.
The father of the child then crashed his vehicle onto the stolen car, but the thief was able to free himself and ran off, said the boy's father to the Portland Police. Thankfully, the father recovered the child unhurt from his mother's car.
Several witnesses joined the chase but Brown's familiarity with the place gave him an advantage in finding and chasing the suspect.
"I saw him crossing the street, coming down towards here," Brown said. "I know this was a dead-end... The only option was either to climb the fence or go through the fence. So, I immediately floored it, pinned him against the fence. I asked him, you know, not to move until the police came here and got here."
An Amazon driver gave him a rope to detain the suspect until the police arrived. "I wish I know his name, said Brown. The suspect was injured during the struggle and was transported by ambulance to the hospital.
On Saturday, afternoon the suspect was released and booked Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of Kidnapping in the Second Degree, Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, and Failure to Perform the Duties of a Driver.
Brown, being A father himself, understood the family's nightmare at the time. "I could be out of control and can be crazy," he said, adding he had just done what's he's called to be done.
"My prayer this morning was for God to show up for me and put me in an impactful position to help other people," he said in an interview. Brown believed it was all answered prayer. He was grateful that he was able to help others. He hopes to meet the family in the future.
Based on the update given by the Portland Police, the investigation is still ongoing. They are asking the public if anyone has taken photos and videos of the incident, they may contact Detective Chris Traynor at Christopher.Traynor@portlandoregon.gov.
