Lehi teen recounts attempted kidnapping at corn maze
By LAUREN STEINBRECHER
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LEHI, Utah (KSL) — A Lehi teen is sharing the terrifying moments she said a man tried to grab her outside a corn maze Saturday night.
As trick-or-treat excitement kicked in Monday evening at the Gallagher home in Lehi, several costumed kids ran outside screaming and ready to get candy.
Bailey Gallagher packed up her backpack as the 14-year-old got ready to head out with friends.
Turning to her grandmother, Bailey asked: “Should I bring hairspray or something that burns people’s eyes?” Her grandmother tried to reassure Bailey that things would be OK.
The teen had a lot of anxiety over trick-or-treating because of what she experienced.
While hanging out at Cornbelly’s with friends, Bailey described how she stepped outside to call her grandmother. She walked around as she talked, ending up next to the corn maze and parking lot in a dark area.
Right after hanging up the phone with her grandmother, Bailey felt someone behind her.
“I turned around, he’s already got my arms, and he’s shaking me, and goes to like my wrists and starts yanking,” she recalls. “So we’re in this like tug-of-war, I guess. I’m pulling towards the corn maze. He’s pulling me towards the parking lot, dragging me a little bit. But I was screaming.”
Because screaming isn’t that unusual at the Halloween attraction, Bailey said people didn’t realize what was happening, and she worried no one would help her. But her screams were enough to make the man run off, and Bailey said she ran back inside to find her friends and get to safety.
Bailey and her friends quickly found Lehi police officers who told KSL they were working an overtime shift at Cornbelly’s. Police said they went out to search the parking lot, but the man had already disappeared, and they couldn’t find him.
Bailey called her mom, Brooke Gallagher.
“She was screaming, and I was like, ‘Calm down. What’s wrong? I don’t understand,’” Brooke recounted. “And she finally got the words out to say, ‘Hey, this man, somebody tried to take me, mom.’ And she just started sobbing.”
Brooke said a police officer took the phone and said Bailey was with them, and they were searching the parking lot for the suspect who tried to take her.
She’s still hoping police can track down the man who tried to grab her daughter, but Brooke is glad that Bailey fought back.
They’re now both sharing a warning for others that even on a fun and carefree night, it’s important to stay aware and vigilant.
“If you’re with a group, stay with them, or don’t ever be by yourself,” Bailey urged.
“Tell your children never to let their guard down,” Brooke said.
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