According to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, the 12-year-old girl woke up in her house in Pauldon, close to Prescott, at around three in the morning to the sensation of registered sex offender Lloyd Beard stroking her face and getting into bed with her.
Mayla Hogan, the daughter’s mother, was roused when the daughter woke her up, and she escorted Beard out of the house and into the yard.
Hogan told nearby reporters, “I was yelling at him to come out and I was opening the door because he just wasn’t responding.
Hogan allegedly requested help from her 16-year-old son to stop Beard from escaping after he allegedly exposed himself and threatened to “drop” her.
According to police, Beard was already on the ground and without his pants when they arrived. His scuffle with the man left him with some minor wounds.
Police verified that Beard received medical assistance at the scene before being taken to the hospital in a statement on Facebook. He is being held at the Yavapai County Jail while charges are pending against him on a number of offences, including criminal trespass, indecent exposure, and aggravated assault.
His failure to register as a sex offender was previously cited.
Sheriff David Rhodes released a written statement following the incident denouncing the “heinous actions” of sexual predators.
“Violent sexual crimes against children are among the most heinous offenses I can think of,” he said.
“I am always as shocked as all of you at the capacity of these appalling offenders to prey on the vulnerable. These violent criminals must be removed from society, and we will always seek to prosecute them and fight for justice for their victims.”
Law enforcement officials also praised Hogan for her actions, which they claim saved not only her daughter but also other neighbourhood people.
According to the sheriff’s office, “the mother’s swift action rescued not only her daughter from additional stress but also managed to help take a dangerous predator off the street.”
“By the grace of God I’m a roughneck, by the grace of God I have good children, and by that same grace of God we will prevail,” she said.
