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An accused child molester appeared before a Leon County judge this morning with a black eye, and scratches: his wound healing after family members of his alleged victim caught him in the act.

Erik McDonald was arrested yesterday for the sexual assault of a toddler. Police say he broke into a house and began molesting the child, when family members awoke. They grabbed objects in the living room and began beating McDonald. Tallahassee Police Spokesman David McCranie says if the family hadn’t acted the situation could have gotten worse.

“The family was a hero; this could have easily turned into a tragedy where someone died, a kidnapping of the child or heaven forbids he runs out of the house and we can’t find him or we don’t know who he is for months and months and he’s still in society. So, I applauded them for their heroic efforts and I’m glad that it wasn’t any worse than it was,” said McCranie.

A judge denied McDonald bail in a court hearing this morning. McDonald is taking medicine for schizophrenia and told police voices told him to molest the toddler.