Officials say a father halted a stroller grab as a knife fell to the floor; the child was unhurt.
CORNELIUS, Ore. — A Cornelius man was arrested and later indicted after deputies say he tried to grab a child from a stroller inside the Walmart on North Adair Street on Dec. 21, 2025, then ran to a white Jeep as shoppers shouted for help.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as 37-year-old Denis Villalobos. Investigators said the episode lasted minutes but triggered a countywide response, with Forest Grove, Hillsboro and Beaverton officers racing to back up deputies. A grand jury returned an indictment eight days later on five counts, including second-degree attempted kidnapping and second-degree assault. The Sheriff’s Office said the child was not injured; the father suffered injuries during the struggle but did not require extended hospitalization. Officials credited bystanders who captured the Jeep’s license plate for giving detectives a fast lead.
The call came in at 7:48 p.m., a peak shopping hour the Sunday before Christmas week. Deputies said a man reached toward a stroller and tried to lift the child. The father stepped between them, and a tussle moved several feet down the aisle before the suspect pulled a pocketknife. The knife clattered to the floor as the father shoved him back and checked the child. Shoppers yelled for security while others dialed 911. By the time the first patrol units rolled into the parking lot, the man had sprinted out an entrance and into a white Jeep that sped away. Employees ushered customers off the front aisle and helped lock down carts near the doors.
Deputies recovered the knife and interviewed witnesses who had followed the man out of the store. Several took photos of the Jeep and wrote down a plate number on their phone notes. Investigators traced that number to a Cornelius address and a registered owner identified as Villalobos. A Forest Grove officer found him not far from the store later that night and took him into custody without further force. Jail records show he was booked into Washington County on suspicion of second-degree attempted kidnapping, second-degree assault, fourth-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and menacing. Officials said they are not aware of any prior relationship between the suspect and the family, leaving motive unclear.
Prosecutors presented evidence to a Washington County grand jury on Dec. 29. The panel returned an indictment listing the same five counts. The Sheriff’s Office continues to gather surveillance video from inside the Walmart and nearby businesses to map the suspect’s path into and out of the store. Detectives also requested additional witness statements, including from anyone who photographed the parking lot along North Adair Street around the time of the incident. No evacuation order was issued, and the store remained open after deputies cleared the scene. Officials said the episode lasted a matter of minutes but prompted a standard mutual-aid callout because the initial report mentioned a weapon and a child.
Walmart’s Cornelius location sits along a busy commercial corridor near apartments and neighborhood streets. Shoppers described hearing a burst of yelling and seeing carts pushed aside as the father pulled the stroller back. “It went from quiet to intense in seconds,” said a customer who was in a checkout line. A nearby resident said the flashing lights drew a small crowd on the sidewalk before officers taped off a section of the entrance. Deputies thanked witnesses who stayed to provide statements, saying the plate number and quick descriptions allowed them to identify a suspect within hours rather than days.
Villalobos remains in county custody pending court appearances. An arraignment on the indictment and a scheduling conference are expected this month at the Washington County Courthouse. Prosecutors said additional filings, including discovery and any pretrial motions, will be posted to the court docket as the case progresses. Investigators said they would release further updates if new evidence surfaces or additional charges are considered, but for now the focus remains on interviews, video collection and preparing for the first hearing.
Author note: Last updated January 4, 2026.