A California man was credited with saving a young girl’s life after he called 911 after watching her suspiciously enter an older man’s car, nearly 60 years ago. Today, that same man looks back on the decision he made, which ultimately saved the young girl from a notorious serial killer and rapist.
On the morning of September 25th, 1968, sales representative Donald Haines made a work trip to Hollywood, CA, when he arrived he noticed something sinister in the area that he could not just brush off as a coincidence. While Haines was about to make a turn onto the busy street of Wilshire Blvd., he noticed a young man had parked his car in the middle of a crosswalk. Haines soon realized that the driver was having a long conversation with an 8-year-old girl, who was currently on her way to school.
Today, Donald Haines reflects on that fateful autumn day after he sat down with a new docu-series from People Magazine titled Surviving A Serial Killer. The interview for the new series is Haine’s first ever regarding the incident, in which he states the driver was fixated on the child, “That disturbed me” Haines quoted. Haines told People Magazine that as a father himself, he was concerned for the child’s safety.
The young girl then entered into the driver’s vehicle. Haines proceeded to follow the vehicle, which led to a residency, where Haines then witnessed the man and child enter the home. Unsure if the man had any weapons on him, Haines immediately drove to the nearest payphone and dialed 911.
Police Officer Chris Camacho Jr. quickly arrived on the scene, to find the child lying in her own blood, still alive. The man responsible for the crime was later identified as Rodney Alcala, famously known as The Dating Game Killer, who had raped and murdered numerous women. Alcala was arrested and later died in prison in 2021.
