**Brave Texas Mom Thwarts Kidnapper with Kitchen Knife**
A Texas mother’s courage shone through as she used a kitchen knife to save her 2-year-old daughter from a nightmare kidnapping scenario in progress. The alleged kidnapper’s ill-fated attempt to grab the child from her parents’ grasp was partially caught on a neighbor’s security camera.
The ordeal began when Paige Ortiz and her husband were returning from a shopping trip. Ortiz informed her husband that a blue truck, similar to theirs, appeared to be following them. Although dismissed at first, the truck eventually made its way too close for comfort in their neighborhood. Entering their home, the suspicious man went on to praise Ortiz’s husband’s truck – and then abruptly grabbed the daughter.
Paige Ortiz courageously dialed 911 while running with a kitchen knife in hand, ready to give everything for her child. Witnessing her husband struggle with the kidnapper, Ortiz pointed the knife at the man’s throat and threatened to kill him unless he let go of her daughter. The miscreant argued the child wasn’t her daughter before running back to his truck.
The perpetrator, 62-year-old Steven Bayse, led Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office on a dangerous chase, hitting patrol cars and nearly injuring a deputy. Charged with kidnapping, evading arrest, and aggravated assault against a public servant, Bayse –already set to appear on a mental health court docket – had his bond set at $125,000.
In the aftermath, Ortiz faced scrutiny from some who questioned why she didn’t take the kidnapper’s life. Convicted she made the best choice, Ortiz explained she used her remaining strength to bring her daughter to safety rather than end his life. Thankfully,
