HS Wrestler Canaan Bower Stops Suspected Kidnapping at Convenience Store

Mayfield High School wrestler Canaan Bower stopped a suspected kidnapping at a New Mexico convenience store Wednesday.

Bethany Freudenthal of the Las Cruces Sun-News reported Daniel Arroyo Beltran is accused of assault on several patrons and employees at a Chucky's Gas Station after witnesses said he attempted to kidnap three children from the store.

Troy Bower, Canaan's dad, said his 16-year-old son was filling up his truck at a nearby gas station when he heard the commotion and drove to the scene.

"So my son—who just won the wrestling district championship weeks ago—just came up behind this guy and body-slammed him and got him in a chokehold and waited for the police to show up," the elder Bower told Freudenthal.

Troy explained he had a mixed reaction after hearing about his son's heroics.

"I wanted to wring his neck," he said. "You fear for your own child's safety in that situation. You don't know if this guy's maybe got a gun or a knife—you don't know what this guy's capable of. I'm sure other people saw what was going on and didn't get involved. It's very terrifying that your child put himself at risk but, at the same time, confident that he would do the right thing and succeed in doing it."

Beltran has been charged with four counts of battery, two counts of assault, two counts of child abuse and one count of kidnapping after being arrested.