London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 24, 2025

Girl recalls fighting off kidnapper as she begs for help in tracking him down

Girl recalls fighting off kidnapper as she begs for help in tracking him down

Brave Alicia, 16, described how her life has 'completely changed’ as she relived the moment a stranger tried to drag her off the street and into a car as she walked home.


Alicia, 16, appeared on BBC’s Crimewatch where she described how a dark car pulled beside her on St Andrew’s Road in Northampton before a man leapt out and grabbed her wrist shortly after 6.30pm on January 28.

She had only left her father’s home minutes earlier, and said that his parting words to leave one earphone out so she could hear the passing traffic probably saved her life.

The schoolgirl said: ‘I just heard the car screeching. He told me I’d be safe if I went with him. He tried to take me but I pushed him off me. If I’d had both my earphones in my ears I wouldn’t have stood a chance. I think that saved my life that day.’

Alicia lives with her mum, but visits her father David, who suffers with heart problems, almost every day to help him around the house and ‘just make sure he’s alright’.

She was making her way home from there when the attack took place.

David said he offered to pay for her to get a taxi home, but she assured him she would be fine.

He went on: ‘She left mine and started walking home and the next thing I knew my phone was ringing and she was screaming and crying down the phone.

‘I said “What’s the matter? What’s the matter?” and she said “Someone tried to grab me”.’


The schoolgirl’s father David said the incident was ‘harrowing’


Alicia also called her uncle, who quickly came and took her to safety.

The teenager sobbed as she begged the public to help find the man responsible.

She said: ‘I was happy, I was bubbly, I wasn’t scared. My life has completely changed. I don’t go out. I stay in most days.

‘I just want him caught. I don’t like living like this. I just want my life to get back to normal.’

Detectives released CCTV showing the black vehicle following Alicia as she turned into St Andrew’s Road and appealed for any witnesses or motorists who may have dashcam footage of the incident to come forward.

DC Leanne Lee said: ‘Alicia has just been so brave. She was extremely frightened by what happened and still is.

‘She starts college this month so is really worried that he might find her. She just wants us to catch him and bring him to justice.’

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
×