Fresno's Good Samaritan receives national attention

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A national spotlight is shining on Fresno Wednesday after a Good Samaritan rescued an eight-year-old girl from a suspected kidnapper.

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Victor Perez didn't set out to be a hero Tuesday morning. But he saw the kidnapping story on Action News AM Live and then, he saw the suspect's pickup truck in his own neighborhood.

What he did next has caught the attention of the entire country. "But we begin, George, with the heroic rescue of an 8-year-old girl kidnapped while playing outside her home," said Robin Roberts as she opened the Wednesday morning edition of Good Morning America.

GMA came to the Valley to tell Perez's remarkable story. The construction worker-turned-grape picker spotted a suspected kidnapper, gave chase, and eventually helped the eight-year-old victim get free.

"Were you concerned that he had a weapon?" Roberts asked him.

"The second time I reached him, the way he reacted, yes I was," said Perez. "For a split second I was nervous until I saw the little girl and all fear was out the window after that. I wasn't thinking for me any more. I was just thinking we need to get that little girl to safety."

Perez was still absorbing what happened as he told his story to several network news shows alongside Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer. But he's knows he's giving the whole country a sense that even in bad times, good things can happen in the Valley.

"It feels good to know that at least in my part, we still do care out there," Perez told Action News. "We don't just close our doors and say forget about it. We actually go out there and see what we can do."

Since the story aired on Good Morning America Wednesday morning, Action News has received several calls from people who want to give him gifts and money.

He says what he wants most is just another good-paying job in the construction industry.

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