A Burnsville father is being rewarded for his bravery, after he chased down a person who carjacked the family vehicle with his four children inside.
It happened last Wednesday.
Derek Gotchie was dropping gifts off to a friend with his wife Deanah and four young children.
She had taken the last item out of the family vehicle, and asked him to shut the trunk to keep their four kids inside warm. That is when someone jumped out of another car, and took off in the family car with the kids inside.
Derek chased him down, and eventually caught him and thankfully the children were safe and unharmed.
“He ran away,” Gotchie said. He found the person in an alley and rammed into his own car. “So I have my permit to carry and I drew my gun out, and he said I’m sorry, but I said no I’m not doing that. I checked my kids and then called it in.”
Santa and WCCO Radio’s Sheletta Brundidge heard about the ordeal and decided the family needed a trip someone warm to forget about the scary the scary experience. The family was given a free trip with air and hotel to Universal Studios in Orlando Florida.
“It sucks that it has to be under these circumstances,” said Deanah. “But it also restores my faith in humankind.”
The 5 year old boy is still struggling to cope with what he went through, “My dad saved us,“ he said. “He rammed into the bad guy.”
Deanah says there has been an ourpouring of support from the community. A go fund me page has raised more than $4,000.
