Matthew
02-28-2008, 12:52 PM
A frightened 12-year-old girl reported an attempted kidnapping Wednesday afternoon outside a private school in Diamond Springs, investigators said Thursday.
"We are taking this very seriously," said Sgt. Bryan Golmitz, El Dorado County Sheriff's Office spokesman. "This is an unknown person, not associated with the school and not associated with the girl's family, trying to take a child out of our community."
The girl told deputies that she had gone to retrieve a water bottle that she had left on the playground of Diamond Springs Christian School on Enterprise Drive near Missouri Flat Road about 3:45 p.m. She saw a pickup truck going east on Enterprise Drive. When the driver spotted the girl, he turned around, parked near the girl, got out and walked toward the back of the truck.
The man then asked the girl if she wanted some candy, Golmitz said, noting that the ploy ranks right up there with "Can you help me find my lost dog?"
By then the girl had heard and seen enough. When she started backing up, the man allegedly made a grab for her.
She ran to the school office and administrators immediately called 911.
The girl described the suspect as a bald, older white male, wearing prescription glasses.
His vehicle is described as an older red Ford Ranger with a gray tailgate.
"We are taking this very seriously," said Sgt. Bryan Golmitz, El Dorado County Sheriff's Office spokesman. "This is an unknown person, not associated with the school and not associated with the girl's family, trying to take a child out of our community."
The girl told deputies that she had gone to retrieve a water bottle that she had left on the playground of Diamond Springs Christian School on Enterprise Drive near Missouri Flat Road about 3:45 p.m. She saw a pickup truck going east on Enterprise Drive. When the driver spotted the girl, he turned around, parked near the girl, got out and walked toward the back of the truck.
The man then asked the girl if she wanted some candy, Golmitz said, noting that the ploy ranks right up there with "Can you help me find my lost dog?"
By then the girl had heard and seen enough. When she started backing up, the man allegedly made a grab for her.
She ran to the school office and administrators immediately called 911.
The girl described the suspect as a bald, older white male, wearing prescription glasses.
His vehicle is described as an older red Ford Ranger with a gray tailgate.