Georges Laraque, a father, an NHL legend and now a hero. Laraque and several other people rushed to the aid of a woman, who was heard screaming for help after discovering that a man was attempting to kidnap her daughter while at Jeanne-Mance Park in Canada.
Georges Laraque, 39, is being hailed a hero by many for helping a family, whose child was being kidnapped. On Saturday afternoon, Laraque, a former Canadian ice hockey player, was taken part in a charity event at Jeanne-Mance Park in Montreal, Québec H2W 2N4, Canada when he heard a woman screaming upon discovering that her child was being abducted. Here is a mini-bio of Mr. Laraque:
“Laraque entered the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), where he played for a variety of teams. In 173 games at the junior level, Laraque stockpiled 107 points and 661 penalty minutes. Laraque was a member of the 1996 Granby Prédateurs team which won the Memorial Cup. On February 13, 2010, Laraque joined the Green Party of Canada. Laraque commits considerable time to local charity work to help the people of Edmonton, Pittsburgh and, following the 2010 earthquake, Haiti.Laraque became a vegan in 2009 to protest animal abuse by the meat industry.”
According to the police, at around 2 p.m., a 24-year-old man entered the park, grabbed a 7-year-old girl by the arm, and attempted to flee with her. The criminal did not make it far before being wrestled to the ground by a family member. The girl was not injured.
The mother of the child, who was traumatized by the incident yelled, which prompted Laraque, who was playing in a celebrity baseball game on a nearby field to run to her side. The sports commentator along with 20 to 30 people surrounded the suspect to ensure he would not leave the park until he was in police custody.
Talking to local media, Montreal police spokesperson André Leclerc said that the man, who is not known to the authorities, was arrested and has been interrogated. Leclerc explained that he will most likely first be subjected to a psychiatric evaluation because it is believed that he has a mental disorder. Leclerc stated:
“Once the investigation is completed, the report will be given to the Crown attorney who should have a suggestion to have a psychiatric evaluation.”
He added:
“This man, 24 years old, apparently grabbed this little girl and ran away, but quickly, members of the family of the victim, got to this man and assisted with the citizen arrest in the park.”
The politician shared:
“I just wanted to make sure that if he got up that I was going to tackle him right away.”
Laraque went on to say that as a father, he imagined what the family’s ordeal was. He explained:
“I have twins and this could happen to anyone. We’ve heard stories of a child being abducted and to see [something] like that — it’s pretty scary.”
Nicole Legault, who was in the park during the incident, said that she heard the woman screaming hysterically. Legault revealed:
“She was obviously very upset.”
The suspect is expected to appear in court early this week where he could face possible kidnapping charges. Pina Arcamone, of the Missing Children’s Network, also issued a statement on the suspected kidnapper saying that he does not fit the profile, “because usually someone will not violently snatch a child, and instead will try to lure them. The park was full of people – and predators do not typically try to abduct children in crowded places.” Arcamone added:
“… now that the weather is mild and families are spending more time in public parks, it’s important to remind child how to behave in public, and to teach them the safety rules.”
What are your thoughts on Georges Laraque’s actions?
24 y-o man in police custody after attempted kidnapping of 7 y-o girl Sat. in Jeanne-Mance park. No charges laid yet pic.twitter.com/1L7uazv7Br
— Sarah Volstad (@SVolstadGlobal) May 22, 2016
