This browser does not support the Video element.
Man accused of trying to harm girls faces judge
Gloria Gomez reports
TAMPA, Fla. - A man accused of trying to harm two elementary school students nearly two years ago faced a Tampa judge Friday for his punishment.
David Daniels recently pleaded guilty to two counts of false imprisonment and two counts of child abuse. Johanna Burgess testified in a Tampa courtroom Friday that she and her son saved the lives of two children.
"Ultimately, the thing that comes to mind is the look of fear on these girls' faces when they mouthed ‘help me he is not our dad.’ They said that to me in the parking lot," explained Burgess.
RELATED: Brandon man arrested after FishHawk woman catches him trying to kidnap two kids, deputies say
The two girls, ages nine and eleven, were at a FishHawk restaurant on June 12, 2022, when they said Daniels targeted them and began yelling and harassing them. He then forced the terrified girls to follow him.
They ended up at a nearby church, where Johanna's son, Brendan, spotted the trio and knew right away something was wrong.
"I go over there as soon as I get close enough to these kids and hear their voices, I knew something was wrong, so we get them inside eventually and get them separated and the terror on these kids' faces is something I will never forget," explained Brendan.
His mother remembered the trauma behind the girls' tears.
CRIME: Tampa man charged in deadly dog park shooting fought with victim over sexual orientation: HCSO
"What comes to mind is the screaming for what felt like hours once we remove him from them and locked them safely in a room and even then, they couldn’t believe they were safe," explained Burgess.
Later, Daniels' mother told the court her son was suffering from a mental health disorder and had bouts of paranoia and hallucinations just before the incident. Daniels also spoke at the hearing.
"I’m so sorry. I can’t explain to you what happened. I know sorry is not gonna cut it," he said.
And after an hour of testimony, it was the court's turn.
Before handing down her sentence, Tampa Judge Lyann Goudy took the time to thank the Burgess family for what they did.
"I applaud you. I wish you would not have been put in that position, but you were, and you rose to the occasion," said Goudy.
Goudy then sentenced Daniels to nine years of both community control and probation. He will also be under house arrest during a portion of his sentence.
However, no jail time was given to Daniels.
The judge also ordered him to stay away from the FishHawk community and not have any contact with the victims or witnesses in the case.
WATCH FOX 13 NEWS:
This browser does not support the Video element.
SIGN UP: Click here to sign up for the FOX 13 daily newsletter