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.