An 8-year-old Colorado girl fought back against an intruder wearing a clown mask who tried to kidnap her during a violent late-night break-in at her family’s home, court documents show.
The victim’s neighbor, Thomas Gallegos, 56, was arrested on suspicion of attempted kidnapping, assault, child abuse and burglary, police in the city of Sterling, northeast of Denver, said Saturday.
Gallegos had helped the girl’s family install a washer and dryer two days before the alleged crime, according to an arrest affidavit obtained Monday by NBC affiliate KUSA of Denver.
The affidavit, which does not identify a possible motive, shows authorities responded to the child’s home around 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 15 and learned that roughly an hour before, Gallegos allegedly entered the girl’s room and blindfolded her.
When the girl awoke and fought back, Gallegos allegedly struck her in the head, leaving her unconscious, the affidavit states. The assailant fled and the victim alerted her mother when she came to, according to the document.
The victim suffered a contusion to her right eye and a laceration to the back of her head that required staples, according to the affidavit.
A clown mask and pair of gloves were found in the girl’s room, the document states.
Investigators identified Gallegos as a suspect through surveillance video and location data discovered on the girl’s phone, which the assailant took, the document states.
During an interview with police, Gallegos said he was in Denver at the time of the break-in, according to the affidavit.
“We explained that we just wanted the truth, Thomas said that he was done talking,” the document states, noting that investigators then served the suspect with a court order for his DNA and cellphone.
It isn’t clear if Gallegos has a lawyer to speak on his behalf.
During an interview with investigators, Gallegos’ wife said her husband denied the allegations, the affidavit states. But it says she confirmed her husband was the man seen in surveillance video recorded in an alley near the victim’s home around the time of the break-in.
In the image, the man was seen wearing dark clothes and carrying a clown mask that Gallegos’ wife said belonged to their grandson, according to the affidavit.
