Timing is everything. A West Bladen High School graduate happened to be at the right place at the right time.
Charles (Charlie) Gooden,17 year old, was in the right place at the right time to save a family from being carjacked in Oak Island, North Carolina on Saturday, July 1, 2017. Charlie was working for Taylor Cubelet Ice and was delivering ice in Oak Island when he heard a scream and turned to see a lady screaming out an open passenger door while the driver was hitting her and pulling her back into the car.
Charlie along with another person started running toward the chaos. Charlie told BladenOnline.com, “Instinct kicked in and I just started running toward the car.” When the carjacker noticed the men running toward the vehicle he tried to run, but Charlie said he was able to grab him. After the two men struggled for a few minutes the carjacker was able to get loose.
Taylor Sterling, the female victim who was in the car, wrote on a Facebook post, “By the grace of God the delivery guys heard me and came to help.” According to reports, Sterling is pregnant and had her two year old daughter in the car also.
The definition of a “hero” is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Charlie Gooden doesn’t consider himself a hero, but some people may see him as Sterling’s hero.
The carjacker, Joseph Dylan Dreisonstok, was identified by police after posting surveillance photos on Facebook. Dreisonstok has been apprehended and is being held on the charge, assault on a female, as of the morning of July 10, 2017 under a one million dollar bond.
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