Police host self-defense, safety classes for children

MARIETTA, Ga. (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Marietta Police said the 9-year-old who was involved in a frightening stranger danger situation this past weekend did everything right.

It happened Saturday at the Walmart in the 200 block of Cobb Parkway South. Police said 51-year-old Michael Beltran approached a 9-year-old boy in the bathroom area and told him that "his mother had left him at the store and that he needed to go with him." When the child refused to go, police said Beltran grabbed him by the arm. The child was able to escape by kicking and screaming, eventually breaking away to run to his mother.

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Coincidentally, Marietta Police are working with the Cobb County Police Department and the Cobb County Safety Village hosting a child safety week-long camp. The RAD Kids camp is teaching about 70 children safety tips and methods. Officers will be teaching participants how to react and escape if they were attacked.

This safety camp session is already full, but to learn more about the program visit https://www.cobbcounty.org/public-safety/police/events/kids-safety-camp-2019