Biscuitville is North Carolina A&T grad student Cody Byrd‘s favorite spot for breakfast. However, when he went to grab a bite to eat one day in January, he saw something that didn’t sit well with him.
In an interview with People, Byrd explained that he had just started eating his breakfast when he noticed a mother and her young daughter eating at another table, and the man who was starring intently at the little girl.
Grad Student Listens to His Intuition, Stops Man From Kidnapping Young Girl at Restaurant
The scene creeped him out. “I just had a weird feeling about it. And I saw something potentially dangerous.”
The 24-year-old’s suspicions were correct. When the 8-year-old got up to use the restroom without her mother, the man who had been starring at her allegedly attempted to abduct the child.
Byrd was able to jump in, saving the little girl from being kidnapped. As the grad student explained, when the alleged kidnapper waited for the girl to get out of the bathroom, he pretended to walk into the men’s room.
As the child walked out, “he lunged at her, trying to grab her. She let out a little yelp and she dodged him and ran off back to her mom,” Byrd told People. “I asked him, ‘What are you doing? Do you know her?’ That is when he got kind of nervous — he said something about he was trying to send a message. I’m not sure what he meant by it.”
He continued, “You know these types of things happen. You see them in media. But you never think that you might actually be in one of those situations. I just tried to do what was right.”
After checking on the shaken girl and her mother, Byrd followed the man out to his truck and snapped photos of the vehicle before notifying 911. According to WNCN, Greensboro police then arrested 55-year-old Timothy Jon Fry. Fry has been charged with attempted first-degree kidnapping and indecent liberties.
Public information officer Ronald Glenn said of Byrd’s keen eye, “It’s important when we talk about trying to improve safety in the community that it’s not just a police issue — it’s a community issue. When a community member is that aware and steps up to get involved, it makes everyone safer.“
Fry remains in jail on a $300,000 bond. As a thank you, on top of being hailed a hero, Byrd will now receive free breakfast for a whole year.