Dad Injured Stopping Man Armed with Knife from Kidnapping His Child at Walmart: Police By Gabrielle Rockson

A father has been left injured after stopping an armed man from kidnapping his child at a Walmart in Oregon, police say.

On Friday, Jan. 2, the WCSO Cornelius Police announced via Facebook that a man had been arrested for alleged attempted kidnapping in Cornelius after being called to the retailer on Dec. 21. Officials added, “The caller reported that a man attempted to take their child from their stroller inside the store and was armed with a knife.”

While the father was able to stop the suspect from taking the child out of the stroller, he was injured from the incident. “As they struggled, the attacker pulled a knife from a pocket, but fortunately dropped it,” the police wrote.

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After PEOPLE’s request for comment, Walmart deferred questions to authorities. PEOPLE has contacted the WCSO Cornelius Police for further information.

Police said that the suspect fled the scene in a white jeep before authorities arrived. “A witness provided the vehicle’s license plate number, and responding officers began searching for the vehicle,” they said.

The police added, “The suspect was identified as the vehicle’s registered owner, 37-year-old Denis Villalobos of Cornelius.”

A Forest Grove officer found Villalobos near the Walmart store. He was then taken to the Washington County Jail.

A week later, on Dec. 29, “a Washington County Grand Jury heard evidence supporting the investigation,” the police continued, adding that an indictment was issued for charges of attempted kidnapping in the second degree, assault in the second degree, assault in the fourth degree, unlawful use of a weapon and menacing.

“It’s kind of scary. Especially the fact that he lives around this neighborhood,” the child’s mother told KOIN. “It’s actually nice to live in a small community where we have the police department around the area doing their job and [are] very close by. So we’re, we’re very thankful for that.”

WCSO Corporal David Huey told the outlet that Villalobos allegedly followed the family during their time at Walmart. “He looks like he’s staring at the child as the family walks by. And they don’t even know who he is,” Huey said. “It’s almost as if the suspect was stalking them in a sense.”