Sandy City, Utah - A family in Sandy City, Utah woke up Friday witnessing their daughter being carried away by a burglar, but foiled a possible abduction in a city that still has a fresh memory of a similar abduction in 2002.

The parents were awakened by the sound of their front door being opened and their supposedly sleeping 5-year old daughter talking. The father immediately rushed down to their front and saw a man carrying his stepdaughter into the street. 

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The stepfather called the attention of the stranger and was able to take back the 5-year girl, who was vaguely aware of what was happening, while the mother was asking for police assistance.

The man was identified as Troy Morley, a 48 year old resident of nearby town of Roy, who only had a history of being arrested for driving under the influence (DUI). 

Court records reveal that the suspect only had cases of divorces docketed but was under suspicion of using illegal substances.

Morley, immediately escaped after handing over the little girl to her step father but was  caught by the Sandy City police minutes later, some two houses away from the home of the couple.

Police Sergeant Dean Carriger told the press that the abduction was a mere random event. The burglar and would be kidnapper was rummaging in the basement of the home of the little girl, whose bedroom was nearby, so he decided to take the girl with him

Carriger emphasized the trauma of the parents discovering and seeing their daughter being carried away by a stranger inside their own home, supposedly secure from intruders. The sergeant adds, "If those parents were not awakened to go out and investigate, he could have easily left undetected with the girl." 

Even after his failed atempt earlier that day, Morley did not leave the neighborhood.  He again tried his luck by entering another home, despite the police perimeter set-up in the neighhborhood, in response to the 911 call of the first victims. The police dogs deployed to survey the area caught Morley, who was bitten before he could escape again.

In 2002, a 14-year old girl named Elizabeth Smart, also from Sandy City was abducted from her own home. It took about nine months for the police to find the victim and initiate a rescue operation. 

The incident caused a heightened level of animosity among the residents of the city that happens to be, the headquarters of the religious organization founded in the United States, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) or commonly called as Mormons.

Local media reports however, did not specify if the family were members of the LDS Church.

Miles Holman, designated spokesman for the family described the event as a miracle - having the parents wake up just in time to recover their daughter. 

Neighbors were thankful for the rescue of the little girl and for the immediate arrest of Morley, with some claiming the incident as "an act of the Heavenly Father."

The neighborhood is generally peaceful but some of the neighbors have expressed fears of a possible repeat of the incident. Some told local media that some are now setting up security alarms to prevent future burglary. 

The neighborhood sits near Sandy's largest shopping center and the town with a population of 90,000 is predominantly followers of the Mormon church.

Local media traced the home of Morley in the town of Roy and neighbors claimed that there have been incidents of unsuitable and bizarre conversations with the suspect. 

Thirty three year old Andrea Shearer, a health professional and another neighbor of Morley claimed that there were previous incidents of Morley's trespassing. Shearer added that she obtained from Roy police a no trespassing order against Morley.

Shearer and other neighbors were not surprised to hearof Morley's attempt to abduct the little girl from Sandy City. Shearer said, "You always hear people saying about their neighbor that they seemed so quiet and normal. Not him, I'm not surprised."

TagsSandy City girl kidnapping, Troy Morley