Man Tried to Take Child at Encinitas Beach: Authorities

UPDATE on May 5, 2022: SDSO said after a thorough investigation, investigators discovered there was no attempt to take a child. Details here.

A man attempted to walk away with a 5-year-old girl Sunday at Moonlight State Beach in Encinitas, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department said.

SDSO said the man took the girl's hand and tried to walk away at about 4 p.m. in the 400 block of West B Street.

The child's mother saw this, grabbed her daughter's hand and yelled at the man, who took off in a southerly direction, SDSO said.

The child was not hurt.

The man was described as white, in his mid-30s, 5 feet, 5 inches tall, 160 pounds, skinny, with short or buzz-cut blonde hair, wearing only gray sweatpants and no shoes or shirt, sheriff's officials said. Detectives were investigating.