A teenage wrestler committed an act of heroism after pinning down a man who was allegedly trying to kidnap multiple children at a Chucky’s Gas Station in Doña Ana, New Mexico. According to Las Cruces Sun News, the situation started when Daniel Arroyo Beltran, 22, approached a woman who had just gotten off a Greyhound bus with her three children (ages 1, 2, and 9).
He then grabbed the two-year-old’s arm and told the mother to give him her children. Court documents say that the mother then kicked Beltran, who then punched the mother in the head, causing her to fall backward onto her youngest child who was strapped into a carrier on her back.
Beltran is accused of then assaulting multiple bystanders who tried to step in. The mother was able to get inside the gas station store, with another man holding the doors shut to keep her alleged attacker out. But then, Beltran was allegedly able to knock the man down by forcing the doors open, reportedly following up by punching him in the face. According to witnesses, Beltran then ran around the store yelling “Give me the kids,” allegedly punching two other women in the face in the process while the mother and her children hid inside an employee room.
While this was all going on, 16-year-old Canaan Bower was putting gas in his truck across the street. He noticed the commotion and drove over; by the time he arrived, the scuffle had moved inside the store. Witnesses say that Bower then tackled the alleged attacker and put him in a chokehold, keeping him there until police arrived.
Bower may not work in law enforcement, but he’s not your average teen on the street, either. The Mayfield high school student won the heavyweight District 3-5A championship in wrestling last month and competed at States shortly thereafter. His is the most recent story of someone with grappling knowledge helping to restrain a suspect before they could do any more damage.
The alleged attack appears to be random, as there is currently no evidence that the suspect and mother had met prior to that incident. Beltran has been charged with one count of kidnapping, two counts of child abuse, four counts of battery, and two counts of assault.
