A group of courageous Good Samaritans are being hailed as heroes after stepping in to save a woman and two small children from what could have been a devastating situation outside a Jacksonville, Florida, Department of Motor Vehicles office.

The incident took place on March 12 in the parking lot of the DMV on North Main Street. 

According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO), witnesses saw a man attempting to drive away in an SUV while a woman desperately tried to remove her two young children, just 2 years old and 6 months old, from the back seat.

Investigators say the man, later identified as 26-year-old Yanni Human, was driving off “against the woman’s will, dragging her and one of the children through the parking lot.”

JSO’s District 6 Task Force officers used that information, along with surveillance footage, to locate and arrest Human later that day at a nearby shopping center. 

He now faces multiple felony charges, including child abuse and false imprisonment, as well as charges for battery, marijuana possession and resisting an officer without violence.

The suspect, Yanni Human, allegedly had “weed in plain sight” in his vehicle. (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office via Facebook)

Authorities credit the quick thinking and bravery of the bystanders with preventing a potential tragedy. 

“This situation could have ended in tragedy. Your JSO is grateful for the quick action and bravery of the Good Samaritans who stepped up and helped bring the suspect to justice,” the post added.