Man on Drugs Takes 13-Year-Old Girl Hostage in Omsk

A man under the influence of drugs entered a house occupied by 13-year-old girl and her grandmother in Omsk, Russia, on February 1, and held the girl hostage with a knife as he demanded drugs from police, the Russian interior ministry reported.

The video here shows armed police at the scene, talking with the man who is seen holding the girl inside a small bedroom. Quickly, a number of officers move to neutralize and detain the man. The visibly frightened girl is rushed out of the room and into another, where police officers are seen trying to comfort her.

The interior ministry said the man had lived in Omsk since 1975, and had been repeatedly convicted of “property crimes.” Local reports said he was 41 years old.

Both the girl and her grandmother were receiving psychological support, the ministry said.

A press officer for the interior ministry in Omsk, Alex Komandykov, shared a photo of the man handcuffed on the floor of the bedroom. While lauding the work of security forces in detaining the man, he also praised the 13-year-old girl, whom he said had behaved in a way that helped them get her to safety. Credit: Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs via Storyful