San Ysidro Families on Edge After Alleged Attempted Kidnapping

The alleged incident happened Friday around 5:15 p.m. at the intersection of Mount Carmel and Padre Tullio drives, just east of Interstate 805

Families in San Ysidro are on high alert after a stranger allegedly tried to kidnap a 15-year-old girl in broad daylight.

The alleged incident happened Friday around 5:15 p.m. at the intersection of Mt. Carmel and Padre Tullio drives, just east of Interstate 805.

According to the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) a teenage girl was walking westbound on Mt. Carmel Drive when she noticed a driver in a red Honda sedan closely traveling next to her.

The girl began to walk faster and the driver, in turn, sped up, police said.

The driver sped past the girl and then stopped his car to block her from walking across the street. Police said he then grabbed the victim by her arm and ordered her to get inside his car.

The teen was able to twist and pull her arm away and escape, police said.

The attempted kidnapping suspect quickly drove off and was last seen turning onto Alquinas Drive.

Residents said the incident is shocking.

“It could happen anywhere – but it happened yesterday, here,” one neighbor told NBC 7 on Saturday.

The encounter happened just outside Nicole Delatorre’s home on the same street she used to walk on to get to school every day.

“I was obviously really scared [when I heard about it],” she told NBC 7. “I felt like that’s a pretty big violation of someone’s privacy.”

“For something like that to happen to a young girl, it’s kind of a terrifying experience because now everyone is kind of worried about what we are going to do,” Delatorre added. “It’s a very busy walkway.”

“I’ve been here almost 25 years and nothing like this happened before,” another resident said. “And it shocked everybody around here.”

The area is a popular route to a nearby church and school. Now, with police investigating the attempted kidnapping, many residents said they would be more vigilant.

As of Sunday morning, the suspect had not been arrested.

Police described him as a man in his 30s with a medium build, a beard and brown hair down to his ears. He wore a grey shirt and jeans at the time of the incident. Witnesses said he drove an older, dirty, red Honda sedan with a loud muffler.

Anyone with information on the case can contact Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

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