Video captured the shocking moment that an Arizona man – who allegedly has a “history of violence” – appeared to try to kidnap a 5th-grade girl in broad daylight as she was walking to school.
On Friday morning, a 5th-grade student was walking to Sunset Elementary School in Glendale, Arizona.
A local resident’s security camera caught a silver sedan making a quick turn in the middle of the road and pulled over near where the girl was walking on the sidewalk. The video shows the driver park, exit the vehicle, and chase after the young girl.
Thankfully, the 5th-grader was able to outrun the suspected kidnapper.
The man calmly walked back to his vehicle.
After the girl was able to escape the suspected kidnapping, three fellow students huddled around her to provide comfort, according to neighbors.
“They hid her because the man was chasing her,” Amcy Borquez told Arizona’s Family.
“I think they were very brave for their age,” Borquez added. “I’m telling them all day, like you’re heroes.”
After reviewing the security camera video, police arrested 37-year-old Joseph Ruiz hours after the alleged kidnapping.
Ruiz was charged with kidnapping and custodial interference felony charges.
Ruiz reportedly has a “history of violence,” according to authorities.
“I would note that he has a history of violence. He was convicted of an aggravated assault, a class 3 dangerous felony, after having stabbed his mother in the neck,” said the state’s attorney in Ruiz’s court appearance.
Nayelia Martinez – a neighbor living near the alleged abduction who has a son attending the same school as the victim – exclaimed, “Oh my god. It gave me goosebumps.”
Sunset Elementary School sent a letter to parents discussing the alleged kidnapping, and said the victim noticed the suspect follow her from the time she left her apartment.
Data from 2019 shows that Arizona has the second-most missing people per 100,000 citizens, according to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System – a national centralized repository and resource center for missing, unidentified, and unclaimed person cases across the United States. Only Alaska had a higher rate of missing people.
Like Blaze News? Circumvent the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Video shows man attempting to kidnap girl in Glendalewww.youtube.com