Police say a man flew from Las Vegas to Northern Kentucky to make contact with a girl who blocked him on social media

Hide Transcript Show Transcript

[APPLAUSE] A SEA OF APPLAUSE FROM STUDENTS AND STAFF AT CONNER HIGH SCHOOL STATE REPS, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT. THE JUNIOR, SAW WHAT POLICE SAY WAS AN ATTEMPTED KIDNAPPING. >> IT WAS REALLY LIKE A GUT FEELING. YOU KNOW? SOMETHING DIDN’T SEEM RIGHT. AND I JUST WANTED TO DO WHAT I HAD TO DO. >> IN AUGUST. . POLICE SAY 18-YEAR-OLD MENJAMIN MARGITZA FLEW TO NORTHERN KENTUCKY FROM LAS VEGAS TO MAKE CONTACT WITH A 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL. THEY SAY THE TWO MET ONLINE BUT TALKED ONLY BRIEFLY AND THE GIRL HAD SINCE BLOCKED HIM ON SOCIAL MEDI WHEN HE SHOWED UP AT HER SCHOOL. >> I’M LIKE YOU ALRIGHT AND SHE’S LIKE GET HIM AWAY FROM ME SO I SAID ALRIGHT SO I PUSHED HER IN FRONT OF ME AND I TOLD THE GUY WALK AWAY NOW BEFORE THINGS GET TOO BAD. >> POLICE ARRESTED MARGITZA. AND JUST THE OTHER DAY, THE GIRL GOT A HOLD OF HARDIN, TO SAY THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> THAT WAS THE BEST PART OF IT WAS WHEN SHE THANKED ME. >> WHAT DID SHE SAY? >> SHE SAID THANK YOU AND I TOLD HER WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND STUFF AND SHE’S LIKE WELL YOU DESERVE ALL OF IT. >> HIS FATHER WAS THERE TO WATCH THE ASSEMBLY, AND SAYS STANDING UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT, IS SOMETHING THAT COMES NATURAL TO CODY. >> HE COULD’VE HAD A GUN. IT SCARED ME BUT AT THE SAME TIME I WAS PROUD OF HIM. STILL PROUD OF HIM. >> I ASKED CODY IF HE WANTED TO GO INTO A CAREER IN LAW ENFORCEMENT HE SAID, ’PROBABLY NOT’. BUT HE DOES WANT TO SERVE OTHERS IN THE MILITARY INST

Advertisement Student honored at Conner High School for stopping alleged kidnapping in parking lot Police say a man flew from Las Vegas to Northern Kentucky to make contact with a girl who blocked him on social media Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A student was honored Friday for his role in helping to stop a potential kidnapping at Conner High School.Cody Hardin walked into a much different scene Friday morning at the school's entrance, where he helped stop the kidnapping.A sea of applause came from not only students but from school officials, state representatives and local law enforcement officers -- all for Hardin.On Friday, he was presented with multiple awards for his bravery and courage and given the honor of having it be Cody Hardin Day in Boone County.Hardin saw what police said was an attempted kidnapping."It was really just like a gut feeling, you know? Something didn't seem right. And I just wanted to do what I had to do," said Hardin, a junior at Conner High School.In August, police said 18-year-old Benjamin Margitza flew to Northern Kentucky from Las Vegas to make contact with a 16-year-old girl. Police said the two met online, but talked only briefly, and the girl had since blocked him on social media. Then, he showed up at her school."I'm, like, 'You alright?' and she's, like, 'Get him away from me,' so I said 'Alright.' So I pushed her in front of me and I told the guy, 'Walk away now before things get too bad,'" said Hardin.He contacted school officials, who later arrested Margitza. Just the other day, the girl contacted Hardin."That was the best part of it, was when she thanked me. What did she say? She said, 'Thank you,' and I told her what was happening and stuff and she's, like, 'Well, you deserve all of it,'" said Hardin.His father was there to watch the assembly and said standing up for what is right is something that comes natural to Hardin."It scared me but, at the same, time I was proud of him, still proud of him," said Jody Hardin, Hardin's father.Hardin said he probably won't go into a career in law enforcement, but he has his sights set on the military.