Updated: March 7, 2013, 6:15 p.m.
On Monday, 13-year-old Jordan Ledyard and her mom Jennifer were heading to their car, which was parked along Main Street in downtown Branford, when Jordan noticed something wasn’t right.
She saw someone who Branford Police Capt. Geoffrey Morgan described as a man “three or four times her size” assaulting an elderly couple.
Jordan grabbed her mom, who called 911, and ran to help the couple into a nearby doctor’s office.
“There was adrenaline,” said Jordan, an eighth-grader at Jared Eliot Middle School in Clinton, who plays soccer and basketball. “I was shaking, but it was OK [after] knowing that people weren’t hurt that badly.”
Jordan was hit in the face during the incident and another woman was pushed into a brick wall. The elderly husband and wife, both of whom were knocked to the ground, are recovering and even made it to the gym today, according to Morgan.
“Not to demonize this gentleman who has issues [with mental illness], but he had the capability to hurt people, just by the sheer nature of his size, and we certainly hope he gets the treatment that’s needed,” said Morgan.
While Jordan’s mom said she wasn’t surprised by Jordan’s reaction as she “always thinks of others first,” Jordan said the attention has been a little overwhelming.
“When I walked into school the next day, everyone started clapping – it was too much attention so I turned around and walked out,” said Jordan, who aspires to be a lawyer or detective. “I’m just glad everyone was okay.”
Morgan was certainly impressed with Jordan’s efforts in the situation, though he does encourage people to call 911 if they see something out of the ordinary.
“We don’t want anybody to get hurt,” he said. “If you see something happening, the best thing is to call, be a professional witness and don’t engage any more than you can capably handle yourself.”
According to Branford Police Department arrest logs, DJ Zelanakas, 20, of Northford, was charged with third-degree criminal mischief, breach of peace and third-degree assault on Monday at the approximate time of the incident.
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