Teenagers who stop at a traffic signal see a girl staring at them for an unbelievable reason. Sometimes when you drive around town and stop at a red light, you look around at other people in their cars. Two young men from Texas were going to pick up with a friend from work when a woman in a car next to them caught their attention. She was pretty and Aaron Arius, 19, and Jamal Harris, 17, were both checking her out.
Little did they know that this pretty lady was in trouble. If these two young men didn’t trust their gut feeling about what they saw, this story would have had a tragic end. Let’s hear their side of the story. It is really unbelievable how one look can save a person’s life. These young heroes don’t wear capes, but they did save a woman’s life a few years ago and everyone was thankful that they got so involved in saving her. It’s not exaggerated to say they’re heroes.
In an interview with the media, one of them said, we felt like we were in an action movie. Here’s how it all started. Aaron and Jamal were in the car with Aaron driving to pick up a friend from work. When they stopped at a red light near downtown Dallas. They noticed a beautiful girl in the back seat of the car that was next to them. Then Jamal looked a little longer and noticed a shocking detail about the turn.
And then Jamal noticed that guy in that Lane right there.
In an interview with NBC DFW, Erin said how it all happened. We were checking out the girl in the back seat because we’re like, okay, she’s kind of attractive. And then the guy that was driving looked back at them. Something was a bit odd. So Jamal kept on looking. Then he sees what the woman tried to communicate. Jamal explained that the woman made eye contact with him and her face was trying to tell them something. Then he did his best to read her lips. She was actually mouthing, Help me, he told his friend. But Erin thought that Jamal was kidding around. He was like, she’s mouthing, Help me. I was like, Stop playing.
We finally made eye contact and I could see the serious expression on her face and I could read her lips and she was saying, Help me. When Erin looked towards her, he realized it wasn’t a game. She was really in trouble. The two called 911 and here’s the entire conversation with the operator as the young men kept on following the car with the supposed victim. They had no idea how dangerous the other driver was. Aaron explained to the operator that they’re witnessing someone who looks to be in trouble.
Yes, I’m on the Highway I’m witnessing not a robbery. I’m kidnapping.
Then he explains how they were checking out the girl in the backseat and how she asked them to help her. He looked to the backseat, and the blonde female in the backseat was saying, Help me or something. Whispering it, added Aaron as he and Jamal kept following the car on highway 175, telling the operator where they were.
Me and another guy were checking out the girl in the back seat because we’re like, okay, she’s kind of attractive. Then all of a sudden, the guy turned back, looking at he looked at the back seat, and the blonde female in the back seat was saying, Help me or something, whispering it. So I’m assuming it is a kidnapping.
Then the driver realized a car was following him and tried to lose it. He was driving crazy, swerving and everything, said Aaron in the interview, adding that at one point the driver started turning on and off his lights. So we knew that he knew he was being followed.
They moved around a lot, and then sometimes they would go really fast to where we can barely see them, and then we’d catch up and they would go super slow.
Then Jamal explained that the police operator told them to turn on the hazard lights so that the nearest patrol car could spot them and intervene as quickly as possible. In a conversation with the 911 operator, Arya said that the driver obviously knows he’s being followed, so he’s either going to hurt her or try to cut his losses, or he’s going to try to hurt all of us.
How did you know that? She was saying, Help me. You could read her lip. Yeah, we can read her lip. And then when we’re driving off, she’s just like hitting that back windshield. We could see her hand and she looked frantic.
However, they did not falter and carried on with the chase until the cops pulled the suspect out of the car. Aaron and Jamal couldn’t contain their happiness when the cops pulled the driver out of the car.
Oh, my God. I’m hoping the car behind me is a police officer. No, it’s not. Oh, my God.
Then as they chase to catch and restrain the suspect, he says, you guys are awesome.
Oh, my God.
Give them the chase was 40 miles long, but it ended with everyone being safe. The man that was caught is called Charles Atkins Lewis Jr. He was charged with aggravated kidnapping. When he was arrested, the police found a knife and a handgun in the car. The young woman was struck over the head and forced to get into her car in the backseat while Atkins kept her at gunpoint. He did not know the woman before the incident. But how did it all start? Here is some information on the victim’s unfortunate experience. It was 11:00 p.m.
When the victim was leaving a young professional’s networking party from downtown. When a man approached her from behind and hit her three times in the head. She believes he used the handgun for that. Then he forced her into her own car and threw her cell phone out the window. In the affidavit, a police officer wrote that the woman thought Louis was planning to rape her and possibly kill her. What did she do after she was freed that night? After the rescue mission, the teens were hailed as heroes. The woman got out of the car she was being helped trapped in and ran to the boys to hug and thank them for saving her life.
I can honestly say those were the best hugs I’ve ever gotten, said Aaron, happy to see she was fine.
Oh my God, I just want to hug you. That’s literally payment for everything we do.
Aaron said in an interview that he would like to stay in contact with the woman but would do that after the investigation in the court case ends so that he won’t interfere with them. When journalists asked Aaron if they consider themselves heroes, this is what he said. She says we saved her life. I guess you could say we did, but I don’t want to be that person who says they’re a hero, added Aaron. Then Jamal explains how they actually felt in that moment and what urged them to act so fast. You don’t need a Cape to be a hero, Harris added, explaining that you just have to be yourself and just respond.
Erin said that the victim was crying and hugging them because she was beyond grateful and who wouldn’t be? But what happened to the kidnapper? Atkins has been charged with aggravated kidnapping and will remain in jail on a 500 dollar bond. The man’s lawyer stated that his client was innocent until proven guilty. What did people say about Erin, Jamal’s deeds? People that read the news of this rescue mission congratulated the boys for acting fast and calling 911 brave teenagers. They didn’t ignore a situation but acted in the proper way by calling the authorities Even if it hadn’t been a kidnapping.