Chilling footage of man trying to abduct girl, 11, from bus stop
Terrifying footage of the attempted abduction of a girl, 11, has emerged as police continue to hunt for the suspect.
CCTV captured the moment the man circled around the child, who was waiting at a Florida bus stop, in his white car before stopping and jumping out of the vehicle, according to local publication WEAR-TV.
The man, who was reportedly carrying a knife, is filmed grabbing the young girl as she struggles against his grip.
The girl kicked and punched the man. She was eventually able to free herself and grabbed her backpack before fleeing to her home.
"We're very fortunate that she's a fighter," Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said.
"We're very fortunate that her family has her home today and we're not looking for a missing little girl."
The 11-year-old suffered some scratches but is mostly unharmed, police said.
The same man approached the girl at the bus stop earlier this month and made her feel uneasy, police say.
She told her teacher about the incident and her parents were alerted by the school.
The girl’s mum has been walking her to the bus stop every day since the initial encounter.
The day of the attempted abduction was the first time since that her mum had not been with her.
Sheriff Simmons said he believes the man has been watching the 11-year-old “for some time”.
Police are now frantically searching the for the suspect, who they said is a Hispanic man in his 30s or 40s.
"This is an individual that needs to be off our streets," Sheriff Simmons said.
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