Hero New Yorker dramatically rescues five-year-old girl from kidnapper who sexually assaulted the child

The good Samaritan jumped into action after spotting the suspect, Franz Villa, with the girl inside 74th Street – Roosevelt Avenue station

Published on: Aug 25, 2023, 08:11:31 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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A hero New Yorker rescued a five-year-old girl who was abducted and sexually assaulted by a 75-year-oldman. The little girl’s mother had reportedly left her with the elderly man in Queens. The good Samaritan jumped into action after spotting the suspect, Franz Villa, with the girl inside 74th Street – Roosevelt Avenue station.

Franz Villa was arraigned Thursday, August 24, and held on $275,000 bail (@naveencbs2ny via @CBSNewYork/X)

The good Samaritan, who has not been identified publicly, was able to recognise the suspect and the victim from a city-wide alert about the missing girl. Franz allegedly kidnapped the girl after her mother allowed him to watch her after meeting him at a grocery store in Jackson Heights. The criminal complaint against Franz revealed that the straphanger saw the girl and the suspect, and immediately snatched the girl away before yelling for help to nearby police. Authorities quickly arrived and removed the girl from Franz, while arresting him.

What are the charges against Franz Villa?

Franz has been charged with predatory sexual assault against a child, criminal sexual act in the first degree, kidnapping in the second degree and endangering the welfare of a child, according to New York Post. He was arraigned Thursday, August 24, and held on $275,000 bail. The girl’s mother, 30-year-old Kimberly Pijuan, is also facing charges for leaving her with a man she hardly knew.

The little girl revealed that Franz sexually assaulted her after taking her to his Upper East Side. Kimberly ran into Franz while shopping at a Foodtown supermarket on Tuesday morning, August 22. She agreed after Franz offered to take her daughter to Frank D. O’Connor Playground, and asked him to bring the girl back to their home within 30 minutes, but Franz kidnapped her instead.

Kimberley called 911 to report her daughter missing at about 1 pm. She had reportedly met Franz a few weeks ago.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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