11-year-old bravely fights off kidnappers using toy — a trick she learned from Law & Order

There’s a reason Law and Order: SVU has remained popular for nearly 22 years—it strikes a balance between entertainment and its grounded depiction of real-life crime. For one brave 11-year-old girl in Orlando, the show’s lessons became more than just gripping television; they helped her escape a terrifying abduction attempt. Not only did she fight off the would-be kidnapper, but she also made it easier for police to locate and arrest him within hours. Her quick thinking even earned praise from Captain Olivia Benson herself.

The young girl, identified as Alyssa, credited the long-running crime drama—which premiered 11 years before she was born—for helping her stay calm and alert during the incident. “The man got out of his vehicle holding a knife, came towards me and I tried to run, but he caught me,” she told TODAY.

The man attempted to drag Alyssa toward his white van, but she fought back with remarkable courage. In the struggle, both fell to the ground, allowing Alyssa the chance to escape. She ran to safety while the man hurried back to his vehicle and drove off. The attempted abduction occurred around 7 a.m., but thanks to Alyssa’s bravery and quick thinking, she is now safe and sound.

Police have released the surveillance video showing the man driving up to the corner near Alyssa as she waited for her school bus. He charged at her and the video also shows the frightening tussle before the man gave up and ran. At the time, Alyssa had been playing with slime and mixing it with blue paint. When he tried to drag her to the van, even as she struggled to break free, she managed to smear the man with the blue slime she had in her hand. "I was able to get the slime onto his upper arm and a little bit on his lower arm," she explained. She had essentially marked the suspect.

"I knew that that might be better evidence if the cops do find him," she said. This, she said, she knew from watching Law & Order: SVU with her mother and knew she had to mark the man with the slime. During the investigation, the police managed to use the information of his vehicle from the surveillance footage and they also knew to look for a man with blue slime smeared on his arm. They found him within hours. “The suspect, when we caught him, had blue slime all over his arms,” Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said. The kidnapper was identified as 30-year-old Jared Paul Stanga.

Stagna has been charged with the attempted kidnapping of a child under 13, aggravated assault with a weapon, and simple battery, as per the sheriff's office, reported CNN. He's being held on a $1.5 million bond. Alyssa also recognized him as the same man who had previously approached her near the bus stop about two weeks before this incident. She recalled how he had made her feel uncomfortable and had let her mother and her school know what happened. Her mom, Amber, had walked her to and from the bus stop except on the day she was attacked. The mother and daughter had watched all the episodes of the show on Hulu together, something that came in handy.

Mariska Hargitay, who plays Detective Benson on the show, was impressed with Alyssa and took to Instagram to praise her efforts. “Alyssa, first and most important, I am so relieved and grateful to know that you are safe. And I am so honored to be part of your incredible story,” Hargitay wrote. “You are one BRAVE, Strong, and Smart young woman. I think the SVU squad might have to add slime to their crime fighting gear! Take good care of yourself and each other. With all my love, your number one fan, Mariska.” Alyssa is proud of herself as well.

This article originally appeared 3 years ago.