Teen Hero: 13-year-old boy saves sister from kidnapper with slingshot

A 13-year-old boy from Michigan became a hero after he saved his 8-year-old sister from a kidnapper by using his slingshot on Wednesday. 

The girl was looking for mushrooms in her backyard in Alpena Township when a 17-year-old with a black mohawk emerged from the nearby woods, grabbing the girl and holding her mouth shut. He then tried to drag her into the woods, according to Michigan State Police. 

The girl’s older brother saw the situation unfold from his bedroom window. When he realized the teenager was trying to abduct his sister, the boy quickly grabbed his slingshot and began firing. He hit the suspect in the head and the chest, causing him to let go of the girl and run away. 

Another family member in the house noticed the suspect running away and called the police to report the kidnapping. The 17-year-old was found by police at a nearby gas station, where he was hiding after being injured by the slingshot. 

"What he [the brother] did also helped us to identify who the suspect was because obviously, he had injuries from getting hit with a slingshot," said Lieutenant John Grimshaw, commander of the local post of the Michigan State Troopers.

The suspect was charged as an adult on one count of attempted kidnapping/child enticement, one count of assault and battery, and one count of attempted assault to do great bodily harm, after the teenager told police officers that he planned to beat up the girl during questioning. He was booked in jail on a $150,000 bond and is expected to appear in court on May 17. 

“Fight, fight, do everything you can; bite the hand[...] stomp on their feet, kick them in the shin, do whatever you can to fight," Grimshaw said. "And then if your mouth is free, scream as loud as you possibly can."