Saturday night at Daley Plaza in Chicago, Kelly Davis and Amanda Green were having a relaxing time watching their two daughters playing when things instantly took a frightening and dramatic turn.
55-year-old James Gates approached the youngest, Myla (2), and grabbed her by the arm proclaiming that she was his daughter. Davis, the real father, reacted quickly and confronted the man. He stated that Gates was so adamant that he even had a nickname for little Myla, “Goldilocks.”
At first gates challenged dad to a fight and threw a punch. A scuffle ensued, “I kind of shoulder-checked him to get away.” As this incident was happening mom said that most people in the plaza just stood and watched.
“Everybody’s just standing there. Nobody did anything. Everybody just stood there staring at us the whole time.”
Here’s a report from CBS 2 out of The Windy City:
After dad and the criminal’s struggle, the would-be kidnapper fled on foot but Mr. Davis was having none of that as he gave chase following Gates through the city streets until he flagged down police who arrested him.
He gave the following quote, and as a father of a little girl let me just say I stood up when I read it and yelled out, “Hell yes!”
“Because of that guy, my kids are going to have fears, and memories that no 2 and 4-year-old ever should. If he would’ve ran to the end of the city, I would’ve chased him to the end of the city.”
It turns out that Gates has a previous criminal history including armed robbery. He was charged on this occasion with attempted kidnapping and battery.
