Teh One Who Knocks
11-15-2012, 11:41 AM
By Daily Mail Reporter
http://i.imgur.com/eAl92.png
A man narrowly avoided an abduction arrest after he picked up the wrong little girl at school and drove away with her.
Art Deaner was supposed to pick up six-year-old Courtney Fetters yesterday at her Gloucester City, New Jersey school as a favor to her mother.
Instead, he drove away with nine-year-old Courtney Durr -- and almost wound up in jail.
Durr vaguely resembled the little girl he was supposed to bring home, Deaner said, and since she answered to the name Courtney, he assumed it was her.
'I told her I was looking for Courtney,' Deaner told NBCNews. 'And the young girl said her name was Courtney.'
Courtney Durr, who was also expecting one of her mother's friends to bring her home that day, climbed into Deaner's car.
'I got off the bus and he pulled up and he asked if there was a Courtney,' she told NBC News 10. 'I said, 'Yeah.' My crossing guard let me go and I went with him.'
The two of them drove away, with Deaner unaware that Courtney Fetters, who he was supposed to pick up, was still patiently waiting for him.
Deaner hadn't seen her in several weeks and she'd recently gotten a haircut, so he didn't recognize her.
Deaner didn't realize he had the wrong Courtney until they'd driven several blocks.
But he knew he'd made a terrible mistake when he asked her about a recent family vacation.
Courtney said she had no idea what he was talking about.
'He was like, "You weren't with Aunt Mary in Maine?" No, I would never have been in Maine,' Courtney said.
Deaner stopped the car and told Courtney they were going back straight away.
'I know Courtney was in Maine for two weeks,' said Deaner. 'I had to turn around and take her back. I got the wrong Courtney.'
But police, alerted by the sharp-eyed crossing guard who saw Courtney climb into an unfamiliar car, were already on the prowl for him.
The crossing guard had even jotted down his license plate number to give to police.
Police pulled Deaner over in his car and nearly arrested him for abduction.
But after asking him and Courtney several questions, it became clear it was a simple mix-up. No charges were filed.
Meanwhile, the friend who was supposed to pick up Courtney Durr was waiting at the bust stop and unable to find the little girl.
She called Courtney's mother, who had a few moments of panic before learning her daughter was alright.
'My girlfriend called me and said, "Where's Courtney?'' said Courtney Durr's mother, Pam Durr. 'I said, "Well she's supposed to be at the bus stop waiting for you." She said, "She's not here.'''
Both Courtney Fetters and Courtney Durr were reunited with their mothers after police untangled the comedy of errors.
Although the situation ended happily, there was also a lesson learned for the girls.
'Don't go in someone's car when you don't know 'em,' said Courtney Durr.
As for Deaner, he says he'll have no problem recognizing the right Courtney in future.
'I won't forget,' he said. 'I'll take a picture.'
http://i.imgur.com/eAl92.png
A man narrowly avoided an abduction arrest after he picked up the wrong little girl at school and drove away with her.
Art Deaner was supposed to pick up six-year-old Courtney Fetters yesterday at her Gloucester City, New Jersey school as a favor to her mother.
Instead, he drove away with nine-year-old Courtney Durr -- and almost wound up in jail.
Durr vaguely resembled the little girl he was supposed to bring home, Deaner said, and since she answered to the name Courtney, he assumed it was her.
'I told her I was looking for Courtney,' Deaner told NBCNews. 'And the young girl said her name was Courtney.'
Courtney Durr, who was also expecting one of her mother's friends to bring her home that day, climbed into Deaner's car.
'I got off the bus and he pulled up and he asked if there was a Courtney,' she told NBC News 10. 'I said, 'Yeah.' My crossing guard let me go and I went with him.'
The two of them drove away, with Deaner unaware that Courtney Fetters, who he was supposed to pick up, was still patiently waiting for him.
Deaner hadn't seen her in several weeks and she'd recently gotten a haircut, so he didn't recognize her.
Deaner didn't realize he had the wrong Courtney until they'd driven several blocks.
But he knew he'd made a terrible mistake when he asked her about a recent family vacation.
Courtney said she had no idea what he was talking about.
'He was like, "You weren't with Aunt Mary in Maine?" No, I would never have been in Maine,' Courtney said.
Deaner stopped the car and told Courtney they were going back straight away.
'I know Courtney was in Maine for two weeks,' said Deaner. 'I had to turn around and take her back. I got the wrong Courtney.'
But police, alerted by the sharp-eyed crossing guard who saw Courtney climb into an unfamiliar car, were already on the prowl for him.
The crossing guard had even jotted down his license plate number to give to police.
Police pulled Deaner over in his car and nearly arrested him for abduction.
But after asking him and Courtney several questions, it became clear it was a simple mix-up. No charges were filed.
Meanwhile, the friend who was supposed to pick up Courtney Durr was waiting at the bust stop and unable to find the little girl.
She called Courtney's mother, who had a few moments of panic before learning her daughter was alright.
'My girlfriend called me and said, "Where's Courtney?'' said Courtney Durr's mother, Pam Durr. 'I said, "Well she's supposed to be at the bus stop waiting for you." She said, "She's not here.'''
Both Courtney Fetters and Courtney Durr were reunited with their mothers after police untangled the comedy of errors.
Although the situation ended happily, there was also a lesson learned for the girls.
'Don't go in someone's car when you don't know 'em,' said Courtney Durr.
As for Deaner, he says he'll have no problem recognizing the right Courtney in future.
'I won't forget,' he said. 'I'll take a picture.'