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Man accused of kidnapping 9-year-old girl arrested at Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Employees followed him to Hogwarts Express, where he was detained, arrested

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ORLANDO, Fla. – Authorities arrested a 23-year-old man Sunday on allegations hekidnapped a 9-year-old girl at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando, according to WKMG.

Our sister station reports that Jason Mikel, of Illinois, faces charges of kidnapping a child under the age of 13, battery and possession of fewer than 20 grams of cannabis, according to an arrest affidavit.

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Police said Mikel and the girl were in a ride's locker area when he touched her shoulders and told her to go outside, where her mother was waiting.

The girl got scared, got away and returned to her mother, police said.

A witness said she saw Mikel put his hands on the girl and told her, "Mommy is over here," according to police.

The witness said the girl looked very scared and when she broke free and ran over to her mom, according to officials.

The witness told Universal employees about the incident, and Mikel ran away, police said.

The girl's mother told police she had lost sight of her daughter. She said her daughter was very scared as she ran to her and told her someone tried to grab her, according to the affidavit.

Employees followed Mikel to Hogwarts Express, where he was detained and arrested, police said.


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About the Author
Daniel Dahm headshot

Daniel started with WKMG-TV in 2000 and became the digital content manager in 2009. When he's not working on ClickOrlando.com, Daniel likes to head to the beach or find a sporting event nearby.