Attempted kidnapping; lying in wait, searching for, or following the contemplated victim of the crime. This is the horrifying, yet all too real, story of November 26, 2023, as told by me and my close friend, junior Saphire Breckenridge.
To provide some background, Breckenridge’s grandparents are missionaries who aid child sex trafficking victims in order to carry out God’s work. She is constantly scanning our surroundings and doubting everything and everyone around her when we hang out. I always teased her about the things she would say and the people she would assume are “trying to get us,” even though she did this for the two of us.
I picked her [Breckenridge] up, and we left on our normal drive around the city blasting music. Shortly before sundown, we decided to stop at the mall to look at some stores for Christmas gifts. As we pulled into the mall parking lot, we had decided most of the stores we were going to look at were at the Auntie Anne’s entrance – the East Entrance. As she suggests, we tried to find the closest parking space, and lo and behold, it was next to a van. This was not your average van; rather, it was the standard, eerie, white kidnapper van that your parents forewarned you about when you were little.
“I asked Alley to move because it looked sketchy, but no one was in the van that we could see, so we just stayed and went into the mall like normal,” Breckenridge said.
We visited the stores we frequently went to and then left right away; we didn’t linger or visit the food court. We were only in the building for about 15 minutes total, give or take, since this was a brief gift browse. Despite all the teasing, the jokes abruptly stopped that evening.
Since my car’s passenger side was closest to us, I unlocked it before we arrived at the doors, allowing Breckenridge to enter straight away as we made our way back to my car, which was about 25 spaces back. We never did get inside the vehicle, though, as Breckenridge saw that a tall, brown-haired, Hispanic man had exited the van’s back and left the sliding door open, revealing three more men in the rear seep toward us.
Breckenridge instantly dropped her Sephora bag and teleported back to the mall entrance as soon as he got out of the van. I continued to wait by the side of my car, observing the situation because it appeared to me that he was entering the mall. The other three people in the van laughed and yelled, “Get her,” pointing to me as he continued to pursue her.
By now, I knew what kind of situation I was getting into, so I scrambled for my car keys, feeling for my panic alarm and Birdie in addition to my pepper spray. The man who was pursuing Breckenridge then made a full 180-degree turn and began moving quickly in my direction. I could tell when he did this that he wasn’t simply strolling into the mall by chance. We were his intended target. My fight-or-flight response went into overdrive and told me to run. I just kept locking my car after running really quickly in my slippers while looking back.
When I met Breckenridge at the entrance, we hurried inside Storming Crab to let everyone know that we were there by yelling and breathing heavily. I asked security to lead us back outside to my car after explaining the situation and stating, “I think they were trying to take us.” The staff congregated and inquired about the distance I had parked, as though it wasn’t that far and they wouldn’t have escorted us out. Whatever the case, they led us outside, and as we got closer to my car, we noticed the van practically swerving out of the parking lot and speeding down Glenstone.
She and I just sat there in shock and silence after we’d gotten into the car and thanked the employee for walking us out. I tried to file an online police report but since nothing had technically happened and I had no plates, I was unable to do so. I then hysterically called my then boyfriend at the time to tell him what had happened.
Every night, all I can hope for is that they didn’t end up with any other girls that evening.
“My advice for teen girls is that anything can happen even with people around and to always be aware of your surroundings because anything can happen, day or night, and never have the ‘it wouldn’t happen to me’ mindset,” Breckenridge said.
Shout immediately if someone tries to take you hostage, especially if you are aware that others are around. Never stop screaming to attract attention, even if your attackers have subdued you. If you drive, set off the panic alarm on your keys. Someone may be able to assist you before you are taken if they hear a shout or car alarm and observe what is going on. Please take this topic seriously because not only is this our story, but it could also be yours.
