Police are searching for a man who tried to kidnap a 10-year-old girl in Fort Lauderdale TWICE in one week before bystander intervened and man was caught on surveillance camera
- A middle school student was nearly kidnapped twice in one week by a man who approached her in a van and offered her candy
- When the child refused to get into the stranger’s vehicle, he exited the car and attempted to place her inside
- The second time the would-be kidnapping occurred a witness intervened and told the child to run – she reported the incident to staff at her school
- Tips about the stranger can be delivered to Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS
A 10-year-old girl in Florida has been left rattled after she encountered a stranger who apparently tried to kidnap her in her Fort Lauderdale neighborhood twice in one week.
Authorities are now searching for a man who attempted to lure the child into his vehicle by offering her candy on her way to school Wednesday morning.
A surveillance video of the incident shows the child sprinting away from her potential abductor.
Video also captured the man dressed in all black walking near the scene.
When the child refused to get into the man’s black cargo van, he got out of his vehicle and tried to pull her in.
A struggle ensued and the girl was able to get away, but she dropped her lanyard as she fled, which she says she saw the man pick up and take.
The kidnapping suspect was caught on surveillance camera near where a potential kidnapping took place. The unidentified subject attempted to lure the 10-year-old girl twice in one week
https://youtube.com/watch?v=dXuebw-janU%3Frel%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26hl%3Den-US
The visibly shaken girl sprinted down the block away from her would-be kidnapper after a witness intervened and told the child to run away
The 10-year-old sprinted down the block to a nearby elementary school and reported the incident to the staff who called the police
The 10-year-old did not report the incident until the same thing happened to her again on Thursday morning.
The second time, a witness saw what was happening and intervened.
Fort Lauderdale Police detective Ali Adamson said a ‘witness in the area approaches them, and asks the 10-year-old if she knows this man.’
‘She says no. At the same time she’s saying no, the suspect says, yes, they do know each other and that he is her grandfather.
‘The witness, realizing that something’s not right, instructs the 10-year-old to run.
‘She runs to Bendle Elementary where she reports it to the staff,’ said Adamson.
School staff then called the police.
The mother of the child expressed her horror at what had happened: ‘You drop your daughter at school and a few hours later you get this call,’ she said.
‘I’m just happy she’s ok. I’m just happy that she made a good conscious decision to run and go seek help.’
The man, described as a 25-to-40-year-old white man with short brown hair, has yet to be apprehended.
The 10-year-old (pictured here running away) did not report the incident until the same thing happened to her again on Thursday morning
The second time, a witness saw what was happening and intervened and told the girl to run
Sunrise Middle School sent a message to parents following the incident: ‘This serves a perfect alignment to talk to your child about stranger danger and staying safe while walking to or from school.’
Local mother Anika Prescia told News 7 Miami that is ‘breaks my heart to hear that other people want to do that to kids.’
‘They are kids, they are babies,’ she said.
She tells her own children that they absolutely must hear from her before leaving school with anyone who isn’t her.
‘If you don’t hear from me, you’re not going with no one. You have to hear from me first. That is what I tell my kids every day,’ she said.
Resident Keith Bernek said as police canvassed the neighborhood, ‘I don’t know what goes through people’s mind. I really don’t. It’s insane.’
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