Last month, married couple Paige and Carlos Ortiz started to have what they thought was a friendly conversation with a stranger we now know is Steven Bayse. The man claimed to have taken notice of their vehicle and wanted to find out if it was for sale. As they were chatting, however, Steven made an insanely bold move – he grabbed their daughter, attempting to kidnap her.
The horrifying moment happened in an instant. Before they knew it, Steven was whisking their 2-year-old little girl away. But this Texas couple were not going to let him get away that easily. Without hesitating, the two of them bolted toward them.
VIDEO: “Let go of my daughter. Now.â€
— Lili Zheng (@LiliNBC5) June 7, 2023
Crowley couple fought off a man who they say tried to kidnap their daughter from their home.
Carlos Ortiz says the suspect asked him about his truck, if he was selling. Then grabbed his daughter @NBCDFW
Next at 10: https://t.co/uDpuqYN0Q9 pic.twitter.com/XxvG6hqqlr
Doing whatever it took in order to get Steven to let go of their daughter, Paige grabbed a kitchen knife and held it to the man’s throat.
“All I could say was, ‘You better put my daughter down or I will end your life,'” she said. “I was just screaming and screaming at him.”
Working together, the couple made it possible for Carlos to wrestle their little one away from her would-be kidnapper who quickly fled the scene. But before he could, Paige was able to take note of the make, model, and tag number. They gave this info to local deputies who located Steven at his home, still sitting in his truck.
From there, a chase between the police and the kidnapper began. In the end, Steven collided into three patrol vehicles and, in doing so, almost hit a deputy. Once he pulled into a grocery store parking lot, they are able to apprehend him.
Now, he’s in the Tarrant County jail with charges of kidnapping, evading arrest or detention with a vehicle, and aggravated assault on a public servant. His bond is set at $125,000. Still, with Steven behind bars, Paige wants to make sure others hear their story and stay safe.
“This man is a danger,” she said. “I have to get his name out there.”
As horrifying as this situation was for the Ortiz family, they couldn’t be more grateful that their little girl is safe.
“It was a motherly instinct, for sure,” Paige said. “I’m glad that it came so naturally, so fast, and so aggressive.”
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