POLICE BRIEFS
Tariq Malik
Huntington Beach police were still searching Wednesday for a man who
they say tried to kidnap a young girl Sunday from an apartment complex on
Riverbend Drive.
The 5-year-old girl was alone in her room and sitting at a desk when
the man approached her from behind and grabbed her, said Sgt. Craig
Junginger of the Huntington Beach Police Department.
The man -- described as 6 feet tall and in his 30s, with brown hair
and wearing dark shorts and a green shirt -- apparently entered the
girl’s first-floor bedroom of the 152-unit River Meadow complex by
removing a screen and crawling through an open window, police said.
As the assailant grabbed her, the girl started screaming for her
family, who were in the apartment, police said. The man let go, jumped
out the bedroom window and fled on foot as family members entered the
girl’s room, police said.
Junginger said the child was not injured during the incident.
The girl’s uncle and father chased after the man, running through the
apartment complex and into neighborhood, ultimately losing his trail in a
business center parking lot near the 8900 block of Riverbend Street, Lt.
Dan Johnson said.
Police discovered a blood trail starting at the girl’s window, which
police believe may belong to the assailant. Samples have been collected
for DNA testing, Sgt. Janet Perez said, the department’s spokeswoman.
Investigators are also gathering information from possible witnesses
of people in the area, vehicles present at the time and other leads.
“Because the victim is so young, getting specific details on the
suspect’s appearance has been difficult,” Perez said.
Police encourage anyone with information on the incident to call (714)
375-5066.
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