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LEHI — 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, Gallagher asked, "Should I bring like hairspray or something that burns people's eyes?" Her grandmother tried to reassure Gallagher that things would be OK.
The teen had a lot of anxiety over trick-or-treating because of what she experienced.
Gallagher described how, while hanging out at Cornbelly's with friends, 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, Gallagher 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 recalled. "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, Gallagher said people didn't realize what was happening, and she worried no one would help her. But apparently her screams were enough to make the man run off, and Gallagher said she ran back inside to find her friends and get to safety.
Gallagher and her friends quickly found Lehi police officers who told KSL they were working an overtime shift at Cornbelly's. Police said they searched the parking lot, but the man had already disappeared and they couldn't find him.
Related:
Man attempted to kidnap teen girl at Lehi corn maze, police say
Lehi police are seeking more information about a man they say attempted to kidnap a teenage girl at a popular corn maze.Bailey Gallagher called her mom, Brooke Gallagher.
"She was screaming, and I was like, 'Calm down. What's wrong? I don't understand,'" Brooke Gallagher 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 Gallagher said a police officer took the phone and said Bailey Gallagher was with them, and they were searching the parking lot for the suspect who tried to take her.
She finally got the words out to say, 'Hey, this man, somebody tried to take me, Mom.' And she just started sobbing.
–Brooke Gallagher
She's still hoping police can track down the man who tried to grab her daughter, but Brooke Gallagher is glad that Bailey Gallagher fought back.
They're now warning 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 Gallagher urged.
"Tell your children never to let their guard down," Brooke Gallagher said.
Lehi police asked anyone who heard those screams in the parking lot Saturday night or saw a man in a dark blue hoodie and sweatpants with a beard running through the parking lot to call them at 801-794-3970.
