A Greensboro child abduction was stopped thanks to a brave neighbor who jumped into action when a mother said a man tried to take her child while they were walking to the mailbox.
A Greensboro mother told The North Carolina Beat Friday afternoon that a man living in the same apartment complex she lives in abducted her child while they were walking to the mailbox.
Thankfully, a neighbor chased the culprit down and was able to save her 8-year-old son.
Brittany Hubbard said it happened Thursday, May 15, in Woodbridge Condominiums. She said as she and her son were walking to the mailbox, her son told her that a man was following them. Hubbard said the man was not in a car—he was following them on foot.
“HE WAS CREEPING UP, BUT I AIN’T TOO MUCH WORRIED ABOUT it BECAUSE I’M JUST GOING TO CHECK MY MAILBOX,” HUBBARD SAID.
Once she and her son got to the mailbox, Hubbard said she noticed the man “right up on us” and then the next thing the man said freaked her out.
“HE TURNS TO ME AND SAYS ‘DO YOU KNOW THAT BOY?’ I’M LIKE ‘YEAHH’ AND HE’S LIKE ‘YOU KNOW THAT BOY, THAT’S MY SON’ AND I SAID THAT AIN’T YOUR DAMN SON,” HUBBARD SAID.
Again the man claimed that Hubbard’s son was his. She said the man then tried to snatch her 8-year-old son’s arm, and the boy started running. Hubbard said the culprit then took off running behind her son and then snatched him up and took off.
“SNATCHED HIM UP BY THE ARMS AND TOOK OFF RUNNING WITH HIM LIKE HE WAS TRYING TO RUN OFF TOWARDS THE HIGHWAY,” HUBBARD SAID. “I’M RUNNING BEHIND THE BOTH OF THEM AND I’M SCREAMING ‘SOMEBODY HELP ME, HELP ME PLEASE’ AND I’M SCREAMING TRYING TO GET SOMEONE ALERT BECAUSE NO ONE IS REALLY OUTside.”
Thankfully, one of Hubbard’s neighbors saw what was going on and was in the direction of where the man was running with Hubbard’s 8-year-old son. She said the neighbor jumped over the porch and was able to stop the man and apprehend him until he dropped the child.
“HE DROPPED MY BABY AND THEN HE TOOK OFF RUNNING AND I STARTED CALLING THE POLICE AND THEY WAS ABLE TO CATCH HIM RUNNING UP TOWARDS CONE blvd TOWARDS THE ROSES.”
Hubbard said she and her son had to go to the location where the police caught the suspect to identify him.
Greensboro Child Abduction Suspect Arrested
The suspect has been identified as 27-year-old Mustafa Osman Hassan, of 2829 N OHenry Blvd in Greensboro. According to court documents, Hassan is charged with felony abduction of children.
He is in the Guilford County Jail under a $25,000 bond.
Hubbard said she wants other parents to be aware in case Hassan bonds out and starts trying to kidnap another child.
