A babysitter in Kansas was left horrified when she checked for 'monsters' under the bed of the child she was caring for and came face-to-face with a completely unexpected sight.
Anyone who's ever looked after a toddler or young child will be familiar with the premise of monsters hiding in their bedroom. The idea forms the whole basis for Pixar's Monsters, Inc. - so it's obviously a common issue.
The vast majority of the time, the fear of a 'monster' is rooted entirely in the kid's imagination, often fuelled by a book or TV show that's taken up residence in their mind. There isn't usually a big creature tucked among the clothes in the closet or hiding behind the curtain - but that's not to say it couldn't happen.
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On March 24, authorities with the Barton County Sheriff's Office in Kansas received a call of a disturbance at a house and responded to the scene just outside the city of Great Bend.
When officers arrived, they encountered a babysitter who was looking after multiple children at the home.
She explained that one of the children claimed there was a 'monster' hiding under their bed, so naturally the babysitter attempted to alleviate their fears by looking underneath it to prove that wasn't the case.
Unfortunately, it was the babysitter who was proven wrong.
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In its statement shared on Facebook, the Barton County Sheriff's Office said the babysitter 'came face-to-face with a male suspect who was hiding there'.
It's unclear how long the suspect had been hiding under the bed, but after being spotted he and the victim got into an altercation during, which one child was knocked over. The suspect then fled the scene before deputies arrived.
While speaking with police, the victim was able to identify the man as a former resident of the home, Martin Villalobos Junior. Junior had since been issued a protection from abuse order which required him to stay away from the property.
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Authorities launched a search for the suspect and found him the following morning. He attempted to escape on foot, but was captured after a 'short pursuit'.
Junior, 27, was arrested and transported the Barton County Jail, where he was booked on requested charges of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated burglary, aggravated battery, child endangerment, felony obstruction of a law enforcement officer and violation of a protection from abuse order.
He is being held in lieu of a $500,000 bond.
Emily Brown