Fearless Mom Fights Alleged Kidnapper to Save Her Daughter

A brave mom physically fought off her daughter's 6-foot-2 kidnapper from the fourth floor down to the first floor of their apartment building. While she sustained multiple injuries, her daughter remains safe.

On January 23, 2024, 18-year-old Lex Alvarez's mom became her real-life hero. Having just returned from a morning walk with her two dogs past 9 a.m., Lex's sense of safety was brutally upended outside her fourth-floor apartment on 43rd Street.

Captured on surveillance footage, a harrowing scene unfolded as a masked assailant, donning a camouflage jacket and lurking in an ambush by the staircase, launched his attack.

The video chillingly showcases the moment when the attacker sprang from the stairs. With black gloves tightly gripping Lex’s shoulders, he forcefully dragged her away. Despite Lex's desperate attempt to escape, the kidnapper was relentless, hurling her down the stairs and assaulting her with multiple punches to the face.

"A 25-year-old male grabbed her from behind, dragged her, threw her down the stair, and punched her several times in the face causing pain,” the New York Police Department revealed.

Lex's terrified screams pierced the quiet of their apartment hallway, a sound so chilling that it immediately drew her mother, Adriana Alvarez, to the door. "I've never heard my daughter scream like that," Adriana recounted.

She initially thought her daughter's screams were due to their dog running downstairs, but the sight that greeted her outside the door was a nightmare. Adriana saw her daughter being forcibly dragged away by a man.

Standing at 5-foot-4 and weighing 130 pounds, Adriana did not hesitate to confront the 6-foot-2, 230-pound kidnapper. Their struggle spanned four flights of stairs, with Adriana fighting valiantly despite the physical mismatch. Her efforts, however, seemed to have little effect as the assailant continued to drag Lex down toward the building’s entrance.

The situation escalated when the assailant countered Adriana's bravery with brutality. He pummeled her in the face before revealing his pepper spray, which he used on both mother and daughter, leaving them in excruciating pain.

In a desperate bid for safety, Adriana and Lex made it to the ground floor, their screams drawing the attention of a neighbor. Armed with nothing but a stick, this good samaritan intervened, striking the kidnapper, and providing the mother and daughter a momentary advantage.

Adriana's quick thinking led her to shove Lex inside their apartment for safety, but the kidnapper was relentless, blocking the door and attempting to seize Lex once again.

The struggle continued in the building's lobby, with the kidnapper dragging Adriana by her hair and stomping on her back. Fortunately, the mother and daughter managed to escape his grasp and ran outside.

In a frantic effort to summon help, Adriana began banging on neighbors' windows, screaming for someone to call 911. It was a neighbor's swift action, holding the assailant down, that finally brought the terrifying episode to a halt as the police arrived to apprehend him.

The man was later identified as 25-year-old George Vassiliou, a former colleague of the victim. George and Lex first met as co-workers at the C-Town Supermarket on 34th Avenue in Astoria, where she worked as a cashier and he in the deli department.

According to Adriana, the two initially maintained a cordial relationship, frequently engaging in conversation during work hours. However, George's behavior took a concerning turn, marked by prolonged stares directed at Lex while she worked.

“They were cordial, they spoke, they were friendly,” Adriana explained. “But he got a little weird — where she would be bagging stuff, and he’d be staring at her.”

The situation escalated when George asked to date Lex, who declined his advances. “She said ‘No,’ and he quit his job and started stalking her,” Adriana alleged. “We had a restraining order against him because he’d tried twice to grab her off the street — before this happened.”

Investigations into the incident revealed that George had meticulously planned the attempted kidnapping. Authorities disclosed that he rented a vehicle the night before the attack, positioning it strategically outside Lex's residence.

A subsequent search of the car unearthed a cache of items including rope, melatonin, sleeping pills, and tampons, along with a knife, signaling a premeditated intent to abduct.

George now faces a slew of charges, including assault, weapon possession, harassment, violation of an order, and attempted kidnapping. He is currently detained at Riker’s Island, with bail set at $50,000.

In the aftermath of the valiant confrontation with her daughter's kidnapper, Adriana sustained severe injuries. A GoFundMe page, established to assist with her hospital bills and household expenses during her recovery, outlines the extent of her trauma.

According to the organizer of the fundraising effort, Adriana's injuries include a fractured orbital bone, a fractured elbow, and a dislocated shoulder. Despite her injuries, Adriana is grateful to have her daughter safely back. "I just had angels by my side. I'm just so grateful and so thankful," she said.

Following his arrest, Adriana protects her daughter and others who might be at risk. She created fliers with George's face, a warning to all those who cross him one day. “It was the only thing I could do,” she said. “You are not going to run us out of Astoria. We are not going to be scared. We’ll show the world your face and tell them what you did.”

Now long ago, another devastating news made headlines, a young man who had been missing for weeks was found deceased. Riley Strain, a 22-year-old Missouri student, was discovered lifeless in the Cumberland River in West Nashville's Nations neighborhood.

On March 22, 2024, his identity was confirmed by Metro Nashville Police through his clothing and watch, with initial observations indicating no signs of violence. An autopsy is pending to determine the cause of death.

his devastating news shattered the last vestiges of hope held by his family and the community. They had rallied together in a widespread search for Riley, driven by the possibility of his safe return, highlighted by the recent video evidence. The absence of foul play-related trauma provides little consolation as they mourn the loss of the young man, whose life was tragically cut short.