On April 01, 2022, cops in Anaheim demanded the help of the public to track down a person who attempted to force a teenager into a small van. Cops were contacted at around 02:45 pm on March 31, 2022, over a person trying to kidnap an Anaheim girl on West Ball Road when she was going home from school. Sergeant Jacob Gallacher of the Anaheim Police Department confirmed the piece of news.
Gallacher stated that the man grabbed the teenage girl and then tried to force her into the vehicle. Fortunately, the girl could cry for help, and bystanders around the area could alert cops about the incident. Unfortunately, the man fled the spot.
A person named Elanie Thomas from Anaheim shared with CBS Los Angeles the video that shows the white van going away down the road. Elanie described the girl as a brave person as she not only screamed but also managed to catch other people’s eyes.
Elanie caught the kidnapping attempt on camera but is afraid to reveal her identity as the attempted kidnapping suspect escaped. Elanie stated that she is bothered about allowing her children to go out after the incident. Elanie told her daughter to avoid going outside with no one else to supervise her immediately after knowing about the attempted kidnapping situation in Anaheim. Elanie described it as an extremely scary situation.
Dale Middle School children’s parents were also notified about the incident in the city. The one suspected in it is a person of Latin American origin who is aged around 25 years as well as has short and thin hair and a white van. At the time, the man was clad in a gray-colored hoodie and operating a white van that contains a grayrack for tools. The pickup is likely to be a Ford F-150® model vehicle or Toyota Tundra.
Anaheim PD stated that the teenager was not physically hurt but that the traumatic scenario gave her an unpleasant shock.
Meanwhile, authorities do not feel that the person with the pickup knew the teenager. The school is offering resources to the victim and every other student who perhaps needs those and is reluctant to walk back home alone.
