Grocery worker recognized kidnapping suspect from online game — then used a clever pizza ruse to rescue 4-year-old girl
He talked to the kidnapper for three days and helped police crack the missing girl's case.
Harry Brown (@itsharrybrown), a supermarket worker, was only 21 when he helped police find Yvette Henley, a four-year-old missing girl, from his bedroom, 5,000 miles away. A court reportedly granted Yvette's custody to her grandparents, Gary and Kim Forester, after they found her father incapable of raising her.
Soon after the court hearing, Virgil Henley, the girl's father, somehow kidnapped her and hid her in a motel in Arizona. But Yvette's search took a sudden turn when her grandparents spotted a common link between Brown and the kidnapper, The Guardian reported.
It had been three weeks since Yvette had gone missing. Anxious, her grandparents turned to Virgil's Facebook to find some evidence. There, they spotted Brown, a Facebook friend, who they assumed could help them find their missing granddaughter. Coincidentally, Brown had known Virgil through an online game called Second Life. Hoping for a miracle, Gary texted him, requesting his help, and to his surprise, the Surreyite agreed. And that's when Mission Finding Yvette began.
For the next three days, Brown began chatting with Yvette's father to get information out of him. Ultimately, he figured out that Virgil was staying in Arizona with his daughter and girlfriend. In fact, Brown also convinced him to give him his exact location so he could order a pizza to his dorm room.
Brown kept his promise, but instead of a pizza, the police arrived at Virgil's doorstep and rescued Yvette just in time. Now, the little girl, according to a report by the Mirror, is safe and sound, living a good life with her grandparents in California.
"The confidence I gained and the life experiences I had from this situation fundamentally changed the way I saw the world and myself," Brown shared, recalling the incident in an Instagram post. Moreover, nine years down the line, he said he is still proud of himself for saving the little girl and becoming a better version post that incident.
Yvette was indeed lucky to be rescued on time, but every year, millions of kids go missing, and sadly, many never return home. Well, as data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (as cited by the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children) suggests, in the United States alone, an estimated 460,000 children are reported missing every year. Similarly, the United Kingdom reports missing 112,853 children every year. Germany, Russia, and Canada also report a huge number of missing children every year, with 100,000, 45,000, and 45,288 missing annual cases.
Meanwhile, reacting to the wholesome story, @no.face.features commented, "I am so proud I met this superstar by pure luck and coincidence in a place that brings happiness. Lots of love." Similarly, @eightninetentacle wrote, "Amazing story, you should feel so proud! Humanity prevails." @teal.dragonfly commented, "I saw the news back then, and I thought you were so beautiful, vibrant, kind, and brave. That's why I followed you on IG. I just want to see that you are doing well and doing what you love. Thank you for being you."
You can follow Harry Brown (@itsharrybrown) on Instagram for more lifestyle content.
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