CSPD: Colorado Springs sex offender arrested for kidnapping little girl

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - On Sunday, April 13, a man working at the McDonald's on North Academy Boulevard took swift action to alert local law enforcement of a suspicious situation in their resturaunt.

Just after 10 in the morning, Omar Campos saw Darryl McLaurin, a convicted sex offender, walk into the store with a little girl. Campos says he immediately knew something was off.

"A worker there actually noticed a man and a child came into the restaurant and just felt like something was not right in that situation. He really trusted his gut and called 911. He reported what he was seeing and what he was experiencing to our call taker, who then also understood the urgency of needing to get officers there," explained Caitlin Ford with the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD).

The store manager tells KRDO13 they had run into previous incidents with McLaurin at the McDonald's.

Campos called 911 to report the situation. While he was waiting for police to arrive, the manager served McLaurin food to keep an eye on him and the girl in the store.

"He did a great job of keeping the situation where it was at, not trying to escalate it, not trying to insert himself into those things, but really, understanding the severity and understanding the feelings that he was having. I think we all know when, you know, the hairs on the back of your neck stick up. When you've got that gut feeling that there's something not right. We all know that. So trust those gut instincts and give us a call. When you see something, definitely say something. Because this really could have turned out differently if he hadn't done that," urged Ford.

Campos also noted the importance of trusting your gut. He said he tried to ask the little girl if she was supposed to be with that man when McLaurin went to the restroom. Campos said she lied out of fear and said yes. But Campos explained that he still knew something was off, and now he encourages other community members to speak up when they see something. He said he's grateful he did speak up.

Colorado Springs police officers were able to arrest McLaurin on the spot for outstanding warrants.

"This whole case really hinges on the fact that that employee did trust their gut and did call us to come in and figure out exactly what was going on. Without that call to 911, I don't really want to imagine what could have happened or how this situation would have turned out differently," said Ford, "so we're just so thankful that we had a community member who saw something, who understood that something wasn't right, trusted his gut, and did call 911 about it."

Detectives with the Crimes Against Children Unit responded and took over the investigation, according to police.

CSPD says detectives determined that McLaurin threatened the young girl and aggressively lured her away from an apartment complex in the 3700 block of East San Miguel Street.

The little girl who police say is under 10 years old has been reunited, unharmed, with her parents.

CSPD said it's unclear where her parents were during the incident. However, the department will not be filing charges against them.

McLaurin is facing new charges stemming from this incident, including second-degree kidnapping, enticement of a child, failure to register as a sex offender, and other charges.

CSPD is grateful for the vigilance of the Campos in this incident and asks anyone else with information to reach the police department at (719) 444-7000.

"We can't be in all places at all times. And so being able to rely on our community members to see a crime, to feel something suspicious and know that they need to report it and be able to communicate that effectively to us so we can get out there to to make sure that the situation is safe as quick as possible. That's really what we're relying on for our community members to be that partner in public safety with us. And like I said, this is just an amazing example of that. And I think everyone in this department is very thankful for that community member," shared Ford.

Ford also wants to remind parents to urge their kids to be aware of stranger danger.

"I think it's always a good time to, especially as we're coming into summertime and kiddos are going to be outside, play and run around parks, to remind our kids that what stranger danger is and remembering, what their safety tips need to be such as going and grabbing a trusted adult," explained Ford.

Ford also recommended either joining or creating a neighborhood watch group. If this is something that interests you, you can contact the CSPD crime prevention unit.

"We have great neighborhood watch groups throughout our community. Our crime prevention officers at each division head up that program. So if you're interested in starting a neighborhood watch group in your neighborhood or working with them on some crime prevention tips for your neighborhood and for your home, definitely contact your Divisional Crime Prevention Officer. They would be a great resource to help you build that community and take that public safety into your own hands," said Ford.