An Escondido man who attempted to kidnap an Encinitas teenager from in front of her home will spend seven years behind bars, a judge ruled Monday.
Jeremiah Owens, 28, pleaded guilty to attempted kidnapping for rape in connection with the incident in July 2017 on Neptune Avenue, near Moonlight State Beach.
Owens and his roommate were arrested and charged with trying to kidnap a 15-year-old girl while she was waxing her surfboard outside of her home.
Owens was accused of directly attacking the teen on Neptune Avenue near Avocado Street, while his alleged accomplice waited in a truck across the street.
The teen was able to fight off the man and escape into the house, locking the door behind her. She was not sexually assaulted, officials said.
Deputies arrested Owens two days after the alleged crime.
In the week following the attempted kidnapping, neighbors distributed surveillance photos that appeared to match the suspects' truck.
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The truck was spotted in Cardiff, not far away from the attack just days later, and two men were arrested.
Christopher White, the co-defendant in the case, also pleaded guilty to being an accessory to kidnapping. He will be sentenced on June 19. He's expected to receive one year in custody and three years of probation, according to the district attorney's office.
