ORLANDO, Florida — A man tried to kidnap a young girl at Orlando International Airport on Saturday night, police say.

  • Police: Man tried to kidnap girl at Orlando International Airport
  • Investigators: Man grabbed 8-year-old, said, 'This is my girl'
  • 2 men held down Alfredo Hernandez Sanchez until police arrived

Alfredo Hernandez Sanchez, 49, of Kissimmee, Florida, is facing a charge of attempted kidnapping, according to an arrest affidavit.

Orlando police said Sanchez walked up behind the 8-year-old girl, wrapped his arms around her waist, picked her up and began walking away with her.

The child, who was with her parents, began screaming.

A witness told police that he heard Sanchez say, "This is my girl."

An officer working a nearby checkpoint heard the screaming and soon saw Transportation Security Administration officials yelling on their radios for police.

When that officer responded to the scene, he saw Sanchez on the ground, being held down by the first witness and another man, the affidavit said. The suspect was then taken into custody.​

"The intervention of the witness and unknown male prohibited him from completing (the) act," the officer said.

Witnesses intervene

Sean Sherman from Apopka, one of the witnesses, was in Terminal B when the incident occured.

“The woman was pleading to help with her daughter -- her daughter had been snatched by this man. I saw this man running across the terminal holding this young girl. I dropped my bag and ran across the terminal," he described.

Sherman told Spectrum News he was able to catch up to Sanchez. He also got help from another man.

“The perpetrator dropped the girl per my instruction, and the older gentlemen, he took his cane and put it over the man’s head and to his throat, brought the man to ground, and I stood over the man and instructed him not to move,” he said.

Sherman, a father of two, said, “There was no way I was going to let the child get hurt.”

According to authorities, the child did not have any physical signs of injury, and the mother refused medical attention, but they do say the child did seem mentally traumatized by the situation.

Reporter Matt Fernandez contributed to this story.