Stranger Tries to Kidnap 8-Year Old Off Newport Avenue; Bar Security Guards and Passersby Rush to Prevent It

On Friday night March 22 on Newport Avenue in OB, a stranger tried to kidnap an 8-year-old boy who was playing on the sidewalk in front of his father who was finishing up dinner. The father, Adrian Villanueva, rushed over to try to prevent the stranger from carrying out this dastardly deed.

Others came to Villanueva’s help, grabbed the boy back and restrained the stranger, who was later identified as Christopher Higginbotham. Security video captured the moment.

Villanueva and his family were enjoying dinner at the deli they just had opened. Bystanders rushed to help as well as did security guards from Pac Shores and The Harp.

Here’s the most of the report from CBS8:

A father is concerned about safety in Ocean Beach after surveillance video showed a man trying to kidnap his son. … Adrian Villanueva says that he and his family were on the patio enjoying dinner and his eight-year-old son was playing on the sidewalk when a man came up from behind the boy, grabbed him and tried to pull him across the street.

“He grabbed my kid right here. He just grabbed him and pulled him down. And he said, ‘this my son, this is my son,’” said Villanueva. The father said he tried to pull his son away from the would-be kidnapper. “I pushed him. I said, ‘no, he is not your son,’ and then I tried to get him out. And that’s when he grabbed my kid, and he started running away through the street,” said Villanueva. …

He was crying. He was crying. Saying, ‘I miss my family. I miss my family,’” said Villanueva. The father said he originally sympathized with the suspect and didn’t want to press charges. “Because my human side said this guy, he was missing his child,” said Villanueva. But now he says his son is traumatized.

“He says. ‘Pa I don’t want to go back to Newport anymore. There are bad people on the streets. I don’t want to go back over there. Please don’t take me over there,” said Villanueva. Villanueva is a new deli partner at Newport Quick Stop Liquor and Deli. The family opened the restaurant about a week ago, they own another restaurant in Ocean Beach. This is their livelihood, and they plan to spend a lot of time there. …

He shared his assigned case number given by police, and according to Villanueva, the suspect’s name is, Christopher Higginbotham. CBS 8 found a 2018 Crime Stoppers issued for the suspect with the same birthdate. The wanted fugitive was captured with a history of felony convictions involving assault with a deadly weapon. Jail records show Higginbotham is currently not in custody. Villanueva confirms this is the same man who tried to kidnap his son and now he wants him off the street and OB to be safe a place.

“Today was my kid, tomorrow can be someone else kid. So that’s why I’m pressing the charges,” said Villanueva.
If you have any information about the case please call police at (619-531-2000.