Teen tracks down woman accused of taking 4-year-old from Ohio playground, sheriff says
A 14-year-old witness is credited with tracking down a woman accused of taking a 4-year-old from a swing set at an Ohio playground, officials said.
The Clermont County Sheriff’s Office says the woman was spotted walking up to the playground and taking the 4-year-old girl from the swing before carrying her to an empty stroller just before 7:30 p.m. Sept. 15, according to a Tuesday news release.
When the woman got to the stroller, she placed the girl on the ground so she could “prepare the stroller,” the sheriff’s office said. The girl, who was at the playground under the care of two juveniles, then ran away.
The girl ran to other kids at the playground, WLTW reported, and the other children yelled at the woman.
As the girl escaped, officials said the woman also fled to an apartment building nearby.
The 14-year-old tracked down the woman by following her to her apartment complex and watching which apartment she entered, the sheriff’s office said. The teen then called 911, which helped deputies “quickly identify” who she was.
The woman was then identified as 38-year-old Crystal Harrison, the release says.
On Tuesday, she was indicted for one count of attempted kidnapping and two counts of abduction. All three indictments are felonies of the third degree.
Detectives say that when Harrison was questioned, she denied removing the 4-year-old from her swing. That contradicts witness statements and apartment complex surveillance video, according to the department.
Surveillance video obtained by WLWT shows the child runnin away and a woman escaping the playground with the empty stroller.
Harrison was taken into custody without incident, officials said, and she is now held at the Clemont County Jail without bond.
The sheriff’s office says she is not related to the child or her family.
This story was originally published September 22, 2021 at 1:48 PM with the headline "Teen tracks down woman accused of taking 4-year-old from Ohio playground, sheriff says."