Indiana grandparents defend granddaughter against suspect who allegedly tried to kidnap her
Two grandparents were able to defend their granddaughter from a man who was allegedly trying to kidnap their young granddaughter from their Indiana home, according to reports.
The man, 37-year-old Benjamin Dillon of Lebanon, Indiana, allegedly broke into the home just before 1 a.m. and tried to take the sleeping girl, Lt. Ben Phelps, Lebanon public information officer, said in a statement.
The grandmother, Patty Roth, told Fox Indianpolis affiliate WXIN that she was "sound asleep" when a man kicked inside the apartment and said, "You have my daughter."
Roth then called police as her husband tried to get the man out of their residence, she said.
The family did not know Dillon, nor did he have any ties to their address, Phelps said. The girl is 6 years old, Roth told the local station.
When officers arrived, Dillon engaged in a physical altercation with them before he was taken into custody, Phelps said. One officer suffered minor injuries in the scuffle.
A booking photo from the Boone County Jail shows him with two black eyes, a bloodied nose and bruises all over his face. Dillon was treated for his injuries before he was booked into jail, Phelps said.
"I wouldn’t want him walking back into my apartment again," Roth said. "He’ll regret it the next time."
It is believed that Dillon was under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident on June 3, Phelps said. He was charged with burglary, intimidation, breaking and entering and resisting law enforcement, online jail records show. He is being held on $75,000 bond.
He was formally charged by the Boone County Prosecutor's Office last week, Phelps said.
Dillon told NBC Indianapolis affiliate WTHR that the incident was a "misunderstanding."
"I was under the impression that maybe my daughter might be over there in that apartment complex," he said, adding that he never threatened to take the girl.
