11-Year-Old Girl Escapes Alleged Kidnapper by Kicking Him in Groin

A brave 11-year-old girl in Washington state found herself in a scary situation when a man allegedly tried to kidnap her - though she managed to escape by kicking him in the groin and running to safety.

The young girl was playing soccer with friends on Monday, December 15, in Vancouver, Washington, when the incident took place, according to KTVB,Oregon Live and KATU.

After the incident was reported to the Vancouver Police Department, authorities quickly worked to track down the suspect. A man named Jerson Hartman was later arrested in connection to the alleged attempted kidnapping and was booked into custody on charges of second-degree attempted kidnapping and second-degree attempted robbery, according to records viewed by Us Weekly.

Hartman, 31, pleaded not guilty to the charges at his initial arraignment. He is currently being held on a $50,000 bail, while he is scheduled to next appear in court on January 20, 2026. Meanwhile, his trial is scheduled to officially begin on February 9, 2026.

The Vancouver Police Department did not immediately respond to Us Weekly's request for comment. Vancouver is located in southern Washington, not far from the Oregon border.

At the time of the incident, the young girl was returning home around 5:30 p.m. after her soccer game. According to a probable cause affidavit reviewed by Oregon Live, she was approached by a man wearing a ski mask, who grabbed her by the elbow and said, "Come here little girl."

While speaking to police, the girl said she felt "uncomfortable" as soon as she saw the man walking towards her, according to KTVB.

The girl said she screamed for help, though the man told her to "shut up," according to the affidavit. He then allegedly took her cell phone away from her so that she could not contact anyone to report what was happening.

The conflict continued when the man forcefully grabbed the girl's arm, according to the affidavit. She then attempted to wrestle away from him before she kicked him in the groin, according to KATU.

The young girl was able to escape his grasp and fled to a friend's nearby apartment, where she alerted police. The affidavit noted that the girl still had red marks on her wrists when she arrived at her friend's home.

Police took Hartman into custody shortly after the incident was reported, and the young girl identified him as the man who tried to kidnap her.

There are different degrees of kidnapping charges in Washington. Those who are found guilty of kidnapping in the first degree are believed to have committed the crime while holding a ransom or reward, facilitating commission of any felony or flight thereafter, inflicting bodily injury to the victims, inflicting extreme mental distress or committing the crime with the intention to interfere with the performance of any governmental function, according to law firm Burg & Lantz's website.

Meanwhile, those found guilty of kidnapping in the second degree are determined to have abducted "another person under circumstances not amounting to kidnapping in the first degree."

In order for a crime to be considered kidnapping in the second degree, the abduction must "not include the use of or intent to use or threat to use deadly force," the suspect must be "a relative of the person abducted" or the suspect's "sole intent is to assume custody of that person."

US Weekly

This story was originally published December 26, 2025 at 11:18 AM.