Two men are being credited with thwarting a kidnapping of a boy and detaining the would-be kidnapper until police could make an arrest after the boy went missing from a birthday party at a park in Santa Ana.
Police said the incident happened Thursday night after the boy was kidnapped from a park in Santa Ana, said Anthony Bertagna, a Santa Ana Police Department spokesman.
Miguel Luna said a man approached him and asked him for cash because he wanted to buy the boy with him some Cheetos.
Realizing the boy was the missing boy who was just taken from a birthday party from a nearby park, Luna and his boss ran through a crowded strip mall.
"I say lets go!" said Adolfo Acosta.
At a market, they spotted the man and the boy.
"The boy was standing right here," Acosta said. "He was holding the candy."
News
Top news of the day
He asked why he had the boy with him and the man said he was just following him around.
"I said, 'He's not following you around. You're in deep trouble," Acosta said.
Acosta said he pulled the boy to safety as Luna and others cornered the kidnapper.
Detectives said they believe he planned to harm the boy.
"This would not have been a good ending," Bertagna said.
Acosta and Luna do not consider themselves heroes.
"God sent me over here for that," Acosta said.
"It could happen to anyone," Luna said. "Someone would want someone to say something about it."
