WHITTIER, Calif. (AP) — Investigators say a man grabbed an 11-year-old girl who was walking alone near a Southern California park and shoved her into the back seat of a car, where he was holding a sobbing 7-year-old against her will during brazen midafternoon kidnapping attempts.
Whittier Police Officer Brad White says the older girl accosted Thursday afternoon managed to get out of the car and free the 7-year-old, and both girls ran in different directions to escape the clutches of the 6-foot suspect.
Police said Friday the same man was prowling Whittier neighborhood parks for young victims earlier this month.
The 11-year-old ran from Founders Park and called police when she got home. The identity and whereabouts of the younger girl are unknown.
Extra police were on duty Friday in the hunt for the suspect in a red convertible with a tan top. Authorities say he approached three teenage girls earlier this month.
