This incident underscores the importance of not dismissing a child’s fear of monsters.
A babysitter, checking under a child’s bed for a “monster,” discovered a man hiding there.
Barton County sheriff’s deputies responded to a distressed call from a residence in Great Bend, Kansas, around 10:30 p.m. on Monday.
Upon arrival, the babysitter informed the officers that she was tucking the children into bed when one of them expressed a fear of a “monster” lurking beneath their bed.
As per a statement posted on the sheriff’s office’s Facebook page, the woman investigated and found two eyes staring back at her in the darkness.
Upon making eye contact with the man, a brief altercation ensued, and he attempted to escape the room, knocking a child over in the process before fleeing the scene.
Barton County Sheriff’s Office
Martin Villalobos Jr., a 27-year-old man, was previously a resident of the house. However, a protection-from-abuse order was issued against him, requiring him to stay away from the property.
Despite a search of the neighborhood, Villalobos was not found. The next day, he was spotted in the area and attempted to flee. However, he was apprehended after a brief foot pursuit by police.
Villalobos has been booked into the Barton County Jail on multiple charges, including aggravated kidnapping, aggravated burglary, aggravated battery, child endangerment, felony obstruction of a law enforcement officer, and violation of a protection from abuse order. He is currently being held on $500,000 bail. The sheriff’s office has not disclosed the nature of his relationship with the children involved.
