Police have released a composite sketch of a man they say was behind a “brazen” attempt to kidnap a young girl in front of an elementary school in the Mid-City area of Los Angeles on Thursday morning.
The crime took place about 7:45a.m. in the 1700 block of Vineyard Avenue, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a written statement.
“A single suspect approached the victim as she was walking herself to school,” the statement said. He stood directly behind the girl. When she turned and tried to go on her way, “the suspect grabbed her backpack and said, ‘Let’s go.'”
Police said the girl was able to slip out of her backpack and run to school. The would-be abductor was last seen running south on Vineyard Avenue.
Officers searched the area but did not find the suspect.
He was described as a black man between 30 and 35 years old, about 6 feet 3 inches tall, with a medium build. He had black curly hair with the tips dyed red and wore a blue shirt and black pants.
Anyone with information was urged to contact Wilshire Robbery Detective D. Slater at 213-922-8217, or the LAPD’s 24-hour tip line at 877-527-3247. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.