In the room, on the floor, sat a man and a woman — the boy’s parents. Their hands were bound with plastic zip ties, mouths sealed with tape.

Their eyes were filled with terror. Above them stood a man in a black hoodie, a knife glinting in his right hand.

The kidnapper froze when he saw the officer. The blade trembled slightly, his fingers gripped the handle tighter. He clearly hadn’t expected help to arrive so quickly.

— Police! Drop the weapon! — one of the officers shouted firmly, drawing his gun at the same time. The partner was already nearby, holding the boy by the shoulder, ready to take him to safety.

— Stop! — the officer repeated, stepping forward.

The tense pause lasted only a few seconds, but it felt as if time had stopped. Finally, the man exhaled sharply, and the knife fell to the floor with a dull thud.

When the kidnapper was taken away in handcuffs, the officer carefully freed the parents. The mother hugged her son so tightly he could barely breathe. The sergeant looked at the boy and said:

— You are very brave. If you hadn’t called, things could have ended very differently.

Only then did they realize: the kidnapper hadn’t even tried to touch the child, thinking him too small to act. But that turned out to be his fatal mistake.