Hero grandfather stops woman from kidnapping his granddaughter at the park, police say

AUBURN, Calif. — An Auburn, California, grandfather enjoying the duck pond at a park with his two grandchildren won a "tug of war" with an apparently sober stranger who tried to run off with his three-year-old granddaughter, whom the accused addressed by a different name.

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KTXL reported that Lindsay Frasher, 28, was arrested, police say, after she "approached one of the children, called her by a different name and tried to take her."

"Ms. Frasher approached one of the children, called her by a different name and tried to take her," Auburn Police Department Sgt. Gary Hopping said in a statement.

Hopping described the ensuing struggle between Frasher and the grandfather as a "tug of war over the little girl."

Locals were disturbed by the news that a park they frequent was the scene of an attempted kidnapping and that the person responsible was a complete stranger, whom police say was sober and not believed to be suffering from mental health issues.

The Sacramento Bee reported that, according Hopping, the grandfather "was able to retain possession of the child" and successfully kept Frasher from running away until police arrived on the scene.

"Just even letting them run off far enough to where I can't get to them fast enough makes me nervous," mother Cheyanne Martinez said.

Currently, Frasher is being held at the Placer County Jail in lieu of $420,000 bail, according to KTXL.

She has been charged with kidnapping.

Disturbingly, a former high school classmate told KXTL that she was not surprised.

The former classmate, who did not wish to be identified, said she hopes Frasher will get counseling.

Cox Media Group