An 8-year-old Colorado girl fought back against an intruder in a clown mask who tried to kidnap her during a violent late-night burglary 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 mention a possible motive, shows that authorities responded to the child’s home around 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 15 and learned that Gallegos allegedly entered the girl’s room about an hour earlier and blindfolded her.
When the girl woke up and fought back, Gallegos allegedly hit her in the head, leaving her unconscious, the affidavit said. The attacker fled and the victim alerted her mother when she came to, the document said.
The victim had a contusion to her right eye and a laceration to the back of her head that required staples, the affidavit said.
A clown mask and a pair of gloves were found in the girl’s room, the document said.
Investigators identified Gallegos as a suspect through surveillance video and location data discovered on the girl’s phone that the attacker took, the document said.
During an interview with police, Gallegos said he was in Denver at the time of the burglary, the affidavit said.
“We explained that we just wanted the truth, Thomas said he was done talking,” the document said, noting that investigators then gave the suspect a court order for his DNA and cellphone.
It is not clear whether Gallegos has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.
During an interview with investigators, Gallegos’ wife said her husband denied the allegations, the affidavit said. But it says she confirmed her husband was the man seen on surveillance video recorded in an alley near the victim’s home around the time of the burglary.
The image showed the man wearing dark clothing and a clown mask that Gallegos’ wife said belonged to their grandson, according to the affidavit.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
