Detectives Searching For Suspect Wanted In Attempted Kidnapping Of Girl, 9, Riding Bike To School

NEWBURY PARK (CBSLA) — Detectives are searching for a man wanted in the attempted kidnapping of a nine-year-old girl in Newbury Park.

The incident reportedly happen right behind Newbury Park High School.

The Ventura County Sheriff's Dept. is putting together a sketch of the suspect who they say tried to grab the girl as she was riding her bike on Lesser Dr. near Spanish Gate Dr., on her way to Walnut Elementary School.

Detectives say the child was going down the street when a man approached her, tried to coax her into his white van, then grabbed her by the leg and pulled her into the van.

The girl broke free and rode to school, where she told administrators, who reported the incident to the sheriff's department.

Parents were alerted to the incident via email.

"It's really scary," one parent said.

Anyone with security cameras in the area is being asked to turn over their recordings.

The suspect is believed to have been wearing all black clothing and had a mask on the lower part of his face; he had Nike shoes and his pants were possibly stained with paint.

Detectives say the van did not have windows on its sides, although it did have square windows in the back; they say the front windows had tint on them.