A Florida man is under police investigation after he allegedly tried to kidnap an 11-year-old girl who was waiting at a school bus stop Tuesday morning.
Jared Stanga, 30, was arrested and charged with attempted kidnapping of a child younger than 13, aggravated assault, and battery, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The suspect was allegedly armed with a knife.
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“He grabs her and tries to pull her into that vehicle,” Sheriff Chip Simmons told reporters Tuesday. “She reports that he had a knife in one hand, and he grabbed her around the neck with the other hand.”
The incident happened around 7 a.m. when surveillance cameras caught a white Dodge Journey driving past the girl several times before the vehicle pulled up, and the suspect had jumped out with a knife.
The girl dropped her bag as she struggled with the man and fought him off with force, video shared by deputies showed.
After the incident, the girl went back to her house with some scratches but no other injuries.
“Luckily, she fights,” Simmons said, according to Fox 23. “She went limp, and she’s kicking, and she’s pushing, and she’s punching, and she’s able to get free. She then picks up her bag and starts to flee.”
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Stanga initially fled the scene, authorities said, but his vehicle was identified by investigators at a nearby spot later in the evening.
