afterword by Patrick H. Moore
Two Dallas-area teenagers, Jamal Harris, 17, and Aaron Arias, 19, were on their way to pick up a friend from work in Seogoville, 20 miles south of Dallas, when they saw an “attractive” woman in the backseat of another car. Trying to get a closer look at her, their curiosity turned to shock when she signaled them for help.
Kevin Dolak on ABC News Blogs writes:
“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,’” Harris told “Good Morning America.”
Harris and Arias then called the police while the woman frantically pounded on the back of the windshield. Although they could have been putting themselves at considerable risk, they proceeded to tail the vehicle for half an hour as authorities swung into action. When the driver realized he was being followed, he tried to lose them, Arias told Good Morning America:
“They moved around a lot and sometimes they’d go really, really fast to where we could barely see them and then we’d catch up, and they’d go super slow.”
They tailed to car on Highway 175 for miles. Arias stayed on the phone with the 911 operator as police raced to the constantly shifting crime scene. Harris later reported that he was “beyond excited” as the chase unfolded.
“I was beyond excited, because I knew someone was going to stop them and the police would come and they were going to get them. And I just wanted to see it through,” said Harris.
According to law enforcement, the woman, 25, was kidnapped in downtown Dallas on Aug. 22 after leaving an office building. Brandishing a gun, Charles Atkins Lewis Jr., 25, forced her into her own car and then drove off. About an hour later, the pair was travelling on a road in Seogoville, 20 miles to the south, when Arias and Harris noticed them.
According to audio broadcast on NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, Arias told the dispatcher, “I’m witnessing a robbery, not a robbery, a kidnapping,”
For sheer enthusiasm, you could not top Arias and Harris:
“Thank God. You guys are awesome!” Arias shouted to the dispatcher at police arrived. “Oh my God. Oh my God. Get him! Oh my God!”
Charles Atkins Lewis Jr. was arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping. He is being held on $50,000 bond.
The woman, who has not been identified, was very lucky and came out of this unscathed. She apparently rewarded Arias and Harris with huge, enthusiastic hugs. Arias, a freshman at Texas A&M, stated:
“I would describe it as the best hug I have ever gotten.”
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This is a heartwarming story. All too often innocent victims are brutalized, raped and murdered while bystanders stand around twiddling their thumbs. We’ve also heard stories about bystanders doing their best to help only to be repulsed by the bad guys. A recent example is the murder of Jennifer Martel, Jared Remy’s long-suffering girlfriend. Several onlookers reportedly tried to go to her aid only to be beaten back by Remy who went right back to doing his nasty business. Therefore, it’s very refreshing to see real heroism that works on the part of everyday American citizens.