10-Year-Old Girl Escapes Kidnapping Thanks to Her Parents' 'Code Word'

Ten-year-old Maddison Raines was nearly kidnapped by a stranger had it not been for the code word her parents agreed to have in the family.

Regardless of where a person is, the possibility of danger will always be there, especially for children. Many parents fear for their kids' safety, but one family specifically added an extra layer of protection for their children.

The Raines family, from Arizona, agreed on having a code word that only they knew. The code word was used to verify information from family members in any event.

Soon, the day came when ten-year-old Maddison Raines had to ask a stranger for the code word. In 2018, Maddison was walking with her friend near the neighborhood park when a white SUV pulled up next to them.

A man then told Maddison that her brothers had been in a severe accident and asked him to get her, but when she asked for the code word, the stranger did not know it and drove away. Maddison shared:

"I asked him what the code was cause my family has a code, and he didn't know it. So I ran."

Children in the residential area claimed to have seen the exact vehicle driving around several times a day.

According to Maddison, her parents had already informed her about possible dangers from strangers and even implemented the code word that eventually foiled a potential kidnapping. She shared:

"I was scared because if I would have hopped in, I didn't know what he would do to me."

Maddison's mother, Brenda James, feared for her daughter's life. "They know who can pick them up and who can't," she said of her kids. "But there's always that special situation where there might be somebody they don't know [...] so that's why we came up with a code word."

Unfortunately, the man was covering his face while speaking to Maddison to conceal his identity. What is known is that he is a white male in his 40s with a short beard.

Children in the residential area claimed to have seen the exact vehicle driving around several times a day. The car was described as closest to a Ford Explorer.

James hopes that other parents learn from their stories and are encouraged to have their own code words or extra precautions for their children's safety.

Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb praised Maddison's parents for teaching them about stranger danger and hoped others would follow suit.

Sadly, not all attempted kidnappings fail. Previously Trevor Gernon's son, Cash, was kidnapped while under the care of his mom. The four-year-old was later found dead as his father blamed himself for leaving his son behind in Dallas.