Seventeen-year-old Travis VanKuren was walking to his car at the Wal-Mart in Springettsbury Township at 7 p.m. last Wednesday when he saw a man and a woman struggling in the parking lot.
VanKuren, a slim, 5-foot, 9-inch junior at Dallastown Area High School, took a closer look and made eye contact with the woman involved in the fight.
"She looked over at me and started screaming for help," VanKuren said. The woman also screamed "help" at two other people in the parking lot who looked at her and walked away.
VanKuren didn't.
Instead, he decided to help, and police say what the 17-year-old did next saved a 42-year-old Manchester Township woman from a man who was impersonating a police officer and intended to kidnap and rape her.
With an almost bashful smile, VanKuren said his reaction to the cry for help is "something I'm proud of."
But the teen didn't think what he did was too heroic.
Heck yeah it was heroic!
Holt, police said, admitted his plans to kidnap and rape the woman, and he was charged with attempted rape, attempted involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, attempted kidnapping, impersonating a public servant and several other charges. Last July Holt was convicted of attempted rape in Lancaster County.
I suppose Travis could have assessed the situation, determined that repeat offender Holt was winning, and then redeployed out of there, but, fortunately for the victim, Travis is a Junior Marine, ROTC.
Semper Fi!
Posted by LindaSoG at April 28, 2007 08:13 PM | TrackBack