Teenaged boy saves his 4 year old sister from kidnapper

A boy, 13, is being credited with saving his 4-year-old sister from being kidnapped, authorities say.

Lancaster sheriff's deputies say the boy took swift action when a man entered their fenced yard in Lancaster on Saturday and grabbed hold of his sister. The man made it about 10 feet before dropping the girl, deputies said, thanks to her brother.

"He definitely acted on his own instincts," said Deputy Miguel Ruiz, calling the boy's actions courageous and heroic.

The suspect was identified as Earl Williams, 61, of Los Angeles. Williams, who had been seen pacing around the children's home in the 300 block of West Kildare Street, entered their yard about 11:55 a.m., authorities said. He asked the girl's name, then reached down and grabbed her, said Lt. Slade Carrizosa of the Los Angeles County sheriff's station in Lancaster.

As the girl was being carried away, her brother quickly grabbed hold of her hand and screamed for help, authorities said.

Neighbors who heard the boy's screams for someone to call 911 flagged down deputies and directed them to Williams, who was still in the neighborhood, Carrizosa said.

Williams was taken into custody on suspicion of kidnapping and was being held on $100,000 bail.

The girl was not injured during the kidnapping attempt.

The children come from a single-parent home, Ruiz said, and deputies have gathered donations of toys to deliver to them for the holiday.