Police Searching For Man Who Attempted 'Brazen Daytime Kidnapping' Of Girl In Mid-City
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Police asked for the public's help to find a man who attempted a "brazen daytime kidnapping" of a girl outside her elementary school in the Mid-City area.
The 10-year-old girl was walking in the 1700 block of Vineyard Avenue on her way to Alta Loma Elementary School when a man approached her and stood directly behind her, prompting her to turn around, according to Los Angeles police.
Police say when she tried to keep walking, the man grabbed her backpack and said, "Let's go." The girl slipped out of her backpack and ran onto school grounds, where she last saw the man running south on Vineyard and out of sight.
When she told school officials about what happened, police say they checked the area but were unable to find the man.
He was described as a black male between 30 and 35 years old, between 6-foot-2 and 6-foot-4 with a medium build. He had curly black hair with red tips, and wore a blue shirt and black pants.
Investigating officers did not find any surveillance video of the attempted kidnapping, but police released a rendering of the man based on the victim's description.
CBS2/KCAL9 reporter Joy Benedict says police praised the girl for doing everything right. They said she is okay.
Anyone with information about the attempted kidnapping can call LAPD Wilshire Division Robbery Detective D. Slater at (213) 922-8217 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
