Kidnapping attempt in Sterling Heights, Michigan: Endi Bala arrested after two child abductions foiled by Good Samaritans

DENVER — A 23-year-old man is suspected of attempting to kidnap children two times outside of Detroit.

Authorities said only an hour passed between the two incidents and that Good Samaritans rescued both children.

Relief was palpable in a Michigan community Saturday morning after two suspected kidnapping attempts, believed to have been carried out by the same suspect, were thwarted by Good Samaritans, police said.

Alecia Swejkoski was out with her 8-year-old son and 7-year-old niece when 23-year-old Endi Bala pulled up in a car and blocked Swejkoski from the children, according to police. In door camera video released by the Sterling Heights Police Department, Bala pulled the 7-year-old off her bike and threw her into the car.

“I first told her to stop and wait a moment. Then I quickly switched to 'go'. 'You have to run, run,' and I got louder and louder, and just then he came up from behind her and picked her up,” Swejkoski said.

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Swejkoski said moments later, Bala drove away with her niece hanging out the car window, and the car struck her eight-year-old son.

“I got hit on the head. He had one hand on her and tried to grab the steering wheel with the other. I had one hand on the steering wheel and tried to get his hand off her and we went back and forth,” Swejkoski said.

According to Swejkoski, Scott Van Luen then stopped his car and intervened.

“I literally pulled him out of the car and just held him against his car until the police came,” he said.

According to police, the same man had attempted to kidnap 15-year-old Alexis about an hour earlier when another passerby intervened.

“He asked twice if he could walk me home and I said no both times and started walking. He got out of the car, grabbed my wrist and said, 'I'm going to finish you off,'” Alexis said.

The seven-year-old's mother is grateful that her daughter is safe.

“I just thought if something happened to my daughter, I wouldn't be able to be here anymore,” she said.