An 8-year-old girl showed remarkable bravery in fighting off an intruder wearing a clown mask who attempted to kidnap her during a terrifying late-night break-in. According to authorities, the incident took place in the early hours of October 15 at her family’s home in Sterling, Colorado.
The young girl, whose identity remains private, recounted to police how the masked intruder entered her bedroom, blindfolded her, and attempted to take her from her bed. Court documents obtained by 9News report that the girl struggled with the intruder, who then struck her on the head, knocking her unconscious.
When the child regained consciousness, she managed to escape and ran to her mother’s room for help. She was treated for head injuries, including cuts and bruises, and needed staples for a wound on the back of her head. Thankfully, she is expected to make a full recovery.
Investigators believe the suspect entered through an unlocked back door and left behind incriminating items, including a pair of gloves and a cloth clown mask, found in the girl’s room. The attacker also took the girl’s phone, which police later recovered along Interstate 76. The phone’s location data led police to arrest a suspect, identified as 56-year-old Thomas Gallegos, a neighbor of the family.
9News reported that Gallegos had been in the family’s home the prior weekend to help install a new washer and dryer, which may have given him familiarity with the home’s layout. Security footage from the night of the incident reportedly shows a man matching Gallegos’s description dressed in dark clothing and carrying a clown mask. Gallegos’s wife informed officers that he admitted to being the man on camera but denied the allegations of attempted kidnapping.
Gallegos is now facing multiple charges, including first-degree burglary, second-degree attempted kidnapping, second-degree assault, third-degree assault, and child abuse. He is scheduled to appear in court on November 4.
While no motive has been provided, authorities noted that the clown mask allegedly belonged to Gallegos’s grandson. The disturbing case has left the community on edge, as residents grapple with the unsettling details of the incident and await further court proceedings.