Young Teen Tells Story Of Being Hit In Head By Hammer, Nearly Kidnapped

RIVERSIDE (CBSLA) —  A young teen who says a man in Riverside attempted to kidnap her while she walked to school yesterday spoke to CBS2 Wednesday.

The man hit the unidentified young woman in the head with a hammer -- but she fought back.

The man parked his 4-door white Toyota Tundra behind a big tree.  He parked it along Rutland Avenue in Riverside on a route many young people take to school.

Police say the unknown assailant violently attacked the teenage girl Tuesday morning.

Comstock asked the teen where she found the strength to fight back.

"I just prayed a lot," she says, "I was praying like the whole time."

Comstock spoke with the teen — in silhouette — to protect her identity.

She showed Comstock the ointment in her hair that covers two staples on the top of her head — where she says the suspect hit her hard with a hammer.

"I was thinking about my family and all the people I know and all of my goals and everything that I want and how different my life could have been if I hadn't fought," the teen says.

So fight she did, with all of her might. Anything to get away from the man.

She found the strength after the attack to work with a police artist to form a sketch of the suspect. The teen says she also spoke o CBS2/KCAL9 so that if other young girls ever find themselves in her shoes, that fighting back is what they have to do to survive.

"If you do get attacked, don't stop screaming, don't stop fighting," she says, matter-of-fact. "Do your best and just know that even if you go down, at least you went down with a fight."

"Yeah, she was a tough little girl for doing that," says one of the girl's neighbors.

The man's actions were so violent, the neighbor thinks he may have been trying to kill the girl.

"Yeah, he would probably have killed her. but she's a strong little girl that got away and I'm happy for her," the neighbor said.

The victim describes her attacker as a Latino, in his 30s, standing about 5 feet 5 inches tall with a thin build.

She says he had tan skin and a round face.

Police said the white Tundra has dark-tinted windows. If you recognize the man from the sketch of his car, you're asking to call Riverside Police.