Man grabbed girl in ‘outrageous’ attack outside school, CO officials say. He’s sentenced
A man accused of grabbing a 10-year-old girl outside her school in an “unspeakable and outrageous” attack is headed to prison, Colorado officials said.
Diego Gettler, 30, was sentenced to eight years behind bars, the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office said in a March 4 news release.
The sentence came after Gettler pleaded guilty to second-degree kidnapping and second-degree assault of a peace officer in a separate case, officials said.
The Office of the State Public Defender represented Gettler, The Denver Post reported. That agency has a policy not to comment on criminal cases.
Gettler is accused of grabbing the 10-year-old and trying “to restrain her in what appeared to be an attempted abduction” in September 2022.
He was masked and wearing black, prosecutors said.
Surveillance video caught “critical moments” of the attack, which happened not long after the girl was dropped at the Thornton school, according to prosecutors.
The district attorney’s office shared some of the footage on Facebook and in its release. The video shows a person in black approaching a child, who backs away. The person lunges at the child and they appear to struggle, largely off camera, before the person runs off, the video shows.
Prosecutors said the girl “bravely fought back, pulling down the mask (Gettler) was wearing, which startled Gettler and caused him to flee the scene on foot.”
Gettler’s parents later identified him to law enforcement based on surveillance photos, McClatchy News previously reported.
District Attorney Brian Mason praised the 10-year-old for her courage and quick thinking.
“(Gettler’s) actions here were truly unspeakable and outrageous,” he said, per the release. “We can only imagine the evil intent this man had were he to have fully succeeded in completing his plan.”
.JPG)