FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – A 911 caller who helped rescue a kidnapping victim from a registered sex offender was awarded by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday with a Life Saving Award.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly presented the award to Cody Clark, who called deputies about suspicious activity along U.S. Highway 1 that led to the arrest of a registered sex offender accused of kidnapping an 11-year-old boy.
“Clearly, from our investigation, we believe that kidnapped child probably would not have survived. In fact, he was convinced he was going to die, so I can’t commend you enough, thank you enough,” Staly said.
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Clark said he was on his way to go fishing when he recognized 60-year-old Darnell Hairston, a registered sex offender who lives in the area, driving a truck with children inside.
“I told the officer, ‘If y’all don’t get here and pull him over, I’ll pull him over.’ I had 30 miles left on fuel range and I didn’t want to lose sight because it only takes a second to turn. Once you turn, then you’re on a goose chase for a truck,” he described his call to 911.
The sheriff’s office said it was when deputies conducted a traffic stop, they learned an 11-year-old boy in the truck had been kidnapped and he told deputies he feared for his life. The boy was reported missing three days earlier.
Hairston then attempted to run away before he tripped into the roadway and tried to grab a deputy’s gun, according to the sheriff’s office.
A 15-year-old boy who was also traveling with Hairston got back into the truck and took off, nearly hitting a deputy in the road, sheriff’s officials said. The teen, identified as Junior Bishop, then led deputies on a chase along U.S. 1 and then on State Road 100.
Deputies attempted to stop Bishop, including maneuvers that ultimately led to the truck rolling over. Bishop was then arrested and faces multiple charges.
Sheriff’s officials said the 11-year-old boy told deputies that he was lured to a wooded campsite in Flagler Estates, where Hairston allegedly choked him until he lost consciousness.
The child said when he woke up, he was threatened with a knife and firearm, tied up with shoelaces and an extension cord and had duct tape over his mouth. Deputies said Hairston held the child at the campsite for several days and forced him to travel on the floorboard of his truck, covered by a blanket.
“I didn’t know if he had anybody in his vehicle but when I noticed there were alleged minors in the vehicle, I knew that I was saving somebody’s life,” Clark said.
Clark said he has known of Hairston for the last 15 years or so.
“I’ve seen him around, I just keep an eye. You watch them and when they slip, you got ‘em... and he was slippin’,” Clark said.
Hairston faces charges of resisting an officer with violence and attempting to deprive a law enforcement officer of a firearm. Detectives also obtained an arrest warrant charging Hairston with kidnapping of a child under 13, aggravated child abuse, battery by strangulation, and robbery with a deadly weapon.