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The J.C. Parks Elementary School student was near his bus stop in Bryans Road shortly after 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 19 when he was approached by local resident Krystal Ninette Clay, who asked him to get in her Chevy in the area of Hard Bargain Circle and Montrose Road.
The boy initially declined but ultimately complied, investigators said. Clay then drove a short distance before stopping in the middle of Chapman’s Landing Road to look for her phone, leading to the heroic rescue.
At that point, an eagle-eyed local resident noticed the car stopped in the roadway and approached to investigate, where she found the boy crying inside the vehicle.
The Good Samaritan asked i the child was alright, and he replied that he was not and needed help, according to the Charles County Sheriff's Office, prompting an emergency 911 call.
Officers arrived at the scene, and after further investigation, it was determined that the driver and the child did not know each other and there was no reason for the woman to pick the child up.
No motives for Clay's action have been established, and there have also been no similar reports in the area in recent days or weeks.
Clay attempted to claim she picked the 8-year-old boy up to take him to class, but that lie was debunked, and she was taken into custody and charged with a felony count of abduction of a child under 12.
The spooked child was returned to a parent.
"(Officials) also encourage the public to report suspicious activity," an official from the sheriff's office said.
"As demonstrated in this case, the quick action of a local resident helped ensure the child’s safety and led to the timely arrest of the suspect."
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