The California Police Trying to kidnap The 5-year-old girl claims he is the same man who tried to abduct a 6-year-old girl at the same mall a week earlier.
San Diego police said they used license plate reading technology to arrest a suspect Thursday after a second kidnapping at the Westfield Mission Valley Mall.
“Store employees heard the girl scream and rushed to help…”
The first incident happened on Tuesday, when a man followed a mother and her 6-year-old daughter who were pushing a stroller with her 8-month-old brother. At about 1:30 p.m., the man grabbed the girl and tried to leave, but she started screaming, prompting her mother to confront the man. The man claimed he mistook her for someone else and ran away after putting her on the ground.
The mother reported the incident to Target security, who then called police. San Diego police were trying to identify the man when they Number 2 An attempted kidnapping was reported at the same mall on Thursday.
On Thursday at about 2 p.m., a man grabbed a 5-year-old girl in front of Inflatable World in the same mall parking lot and tried to take her away. Police Lt. Daniel Meyer said the man tried to put the girl in his car.
Ann employee Store staff heard the girl’s screams and rushed to her aid, after which the man grabbed her and fled the scene in a car.
The car used in Tuesday’s incident was identified as a black 2013 Chevrolet Volt, while the vehicle involved in the second incident was identified only as being black.
Two hours later, police stopped a vehicle matching the description and license plate number near downtown San Diego. The driver was identified as a suspect and arrested.
Meyer, at a news conference Thursday, identified the suspect as Arturo Rene Lujan, 42. He said the man has been charged in both kidnapping cases.
No one was physically injured in the incident, but the children involved were traumatized, Meyer said.
“We as a county provide significant resources for victims of crime,” he added.
Lujan is being held without bail and is scheduled to be arraigned in San Diego Superior Court, according to court records.
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