Photo: Sterling Police Department
An eight-year-old girl in Colorado bravely fought off an assailant who attempted to kidnap her from her bedroom, according to the Sterling Police Department. The girl was attacked by an unknown male who had entered her room. The assailant, who was wearing a dark hoodie, pants, and a clown mask, fled the scene on foot after the girl fought back.
The girl, whose identity has not been disclosed, was left with cuts and bruises but no serious injuries. She alerted her parents about the incident, who then called 911. The police arrived at the scene an hour later and began their investigation. They found a clown mask and a pair of gloves in the girl's room, which are now undergoing DNA testing by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
The Sterling Police Department arrested 56-year-old Thomas Gallegos, charging him with first-degree burglary, second-degree assault, attempted second-degree kidnapping, third-degree assault, and child abuse. Gallegos, who lived in the same neighborhood as the girl's family, had installed a washer and dryer in their home a week prior to the incident.
The girl's phone, which the assailant had taken, was later found dumped near Interstate 76, west of Sterling. Investigators used security video and location data from the girl's phone to identify Gallegos as a suspect. Despite his claims of being in Denver at the time of the break-in, security footage showed a man matching Gallegos' description near the victim's home around the time of the incident. Gallegos' next court date is scheduled for November 4.