‘Help me,’ desperate mom mouthed to sporting goods store customers, deputies say

A woman mouthed the words “help me” to customers at an Oregon store, leading to the arrest of the man accused of kidnapping her and her child, according to authorities.

Christopher Hahn-Collins, 25, of Salem, Ore., is accused of breaking into the family’s home Friday and waiting for them to return, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Once the mother and her child entered the home, he held them at knifepoint overnight and for some of the next day, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

On Saturday, the mother was able to persuade Hahn-Collins to take her and her child to Dick’s Sporting Goods, the news release says. Once at the store, she mouthed “Help me” to several customers, and someone called police from the store.

Deputies took Hahn-Collins into custody.

The Sheriff’s Office says Hahn-Collins likely didn’t know the victims.

He is charged with two counts of first-degree kidnapping, menacing, first-degree burglary, giving false information to police, unlawful use of a weapon and a parole violation, according to inmate records.

This story was originally published December 10, 2017 at 1:48 PM with the headline "‘Help me,’ desperate mom mouthed to sporting goods store customers, deputies say."