Gas station clerk noticed a young girl mouthing one word repeatedly. He ran to the police when he finally got it

A 16-year-old student was saved from a kidnapper in Hamtramck, all because of a cashier's quick thinking. The story was reported by WXYZ-TV Detroit Channel 7 (@wxyztvdetroit) on April 14. The girl was on her way to school, waiting for her school bus near Edwin and Brombach at around 7:00 a.m., when she was ambushed by an armed man who forced her into his car at gunpoint. Things could have gone south if the kidnapper had not stopped at the Sunoco gas station for cigarettes, where Abdulrahman Abohatem, the cashier, suspected something fishy was going on.

Brett Kast of Channel 7 Detroit headed to the gas station located at Nevada Street and Conant to interview the local hero. Abohatem said it was a usual morning for him until a man and a young girl came into the station at around 7:30 a.m. The man asked for a packet of cigarettes and asked the girl to pay. Abohatem thought the request was strange when he saw the girl silently mouth the word 'Help.' That was when he decided to trust his gut instincts and stepped into action. Abohatem got out of the counter to confront the man and told the girl to get behind him. He did not know that the girl was kidnapped as he was ushering the man outside the store.

On the other hand, the President of the Frontier International Academy School Board told the news outlet that fellow students witnessed her getting kidnapped. They stepped in to help the best way they could by providing the police with information to track her phone's location. Just as Abohatem was taking the man outside the store, the police arrived at the spot, and he pointed them towards the kidnapper.

Hussein Farhat, the chief of the Hamtramck Police Department, said that the kidnapping was a random incident and that the kidnapper saw the opportunity and took it. Hamtramck Mayor Adam Alhabi assured the residents, saying, "This criminal had a history of ra*e charges, and we will make sure that he gets what he deserves." Presently, the girl is back at home safe, and the kidnapper has been arrested.

Kidnapping may not be a very common crime in the U.S. compared to other criminal activities, but it is still deeply concerning. As per a survey by OJJDP, 533,936 missing person cases were reported in 2024, including 349,557 involving children. At the same time, about 460,000 children are reported missing each year in the U.S., according to national databases. While less than 1% of these cases involve stranger abductions, and fewer than 350 such incidents occur each year, they are still extremely serious.

People in the comments were expressing feelings of relief and gratitude for the girl and her family, and anger towards the kidnapper. Many praised Abdulrahman Abohatem for his bravery. @Rhapsnie commented, "What a very lucky little girl, and that man deserves a medal. These days, people just keep to themselves. It’s nice to see someone step outside their comfort zone to help someone in need, especially a child! He’s a hero!" @nitalove9416 added, "The criminal justice system isn’t hard enough on predators. There is too much of this going on."

More on Scoop Upworthy

11-year-old girl was about to be kidnapped — but her family's 'code word' saved her life

Mother gets herself trafficked to rescue 16-year-old daughter kidnapped by traffickers

People rally around mom who fake kidnapped her own child to teach husband a 'responsibility' lesson