Court records show that an 8-year-old girl in Colorado fought back against a clown mask-wearing intruder who tried to take her during a violent late-night break-in at her family’s house.
Sixty-six-year-old Thomas Gallegos, who lived next door to the victim, was arrested on Saturday on charges of attempted kidnapping, assault, child abuse, and burglary.
An arrest affidavit obtained Monday by NBC station KUSA of Denver says Gallegos helped the girl’s family set up a washer and dryer two days before.
The affidavit, which doesn’t say what the possible reason might be, shows that police went to the child’s house around 2:30 a.m. Oct. 15 and heard that the man, who was thought to be Gallegos, had gone into the girl’s room and blindfolded her about an hour before.
The statement says that Gallegos hit the girl in the head, knocking her out when she woke up and tried to fight back. The attacker ran away, and the girl told her mother when she woke up, according to the document.
The statement said the victim had a cut in the back of her head that needed to be stapled and a bruise on her right eye.
There was a clown mask and gloves in the girl’s room, the report says.
The attacker stole the girl’s phone and used it to record security video and location data that helped police identify Gallegos as a possible suspect, the document says.
“Gallegos told police that he was in Denver at the time of the break-in,” the affidavit says.
The paper says, “We told Thomas that we only wanted the truth, and he said he was done talking.” Investigators then gave the suspect a court order for his DNA and cell phone.
It’s not clear if Gallegos has a lawyer who can talk for him.
In an interview with police, Gallegos’ wife said that her husband rejected the claims, according to the affidavit. As for her husband, she said he was the man seen on security video in an area near the victim’s house around the time of the break-in.
The affidavit says that the guy in the picture was wearing dark clothes and carrying a clown mask that Gallegos’ wife said belonged to their grandson.
Article Source: Colorado girl, 8, fights back against kidnapper in clown mask, police say
