A man was arrested on suspicion of trying to kidnap young girls in Los Angeles and Escondido, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department said Thursday.
Elijah Lopez, 24, was wanted on suspicion of following and forcibly grabbing a 6-year-old girl who was walking with her blind father in Huntington Park on Tuesday. The Los Angeles Police Department issued a wanted flyer that reached the Valley Center Sheriff's Substation, SDSO said.
On Wednesday, SDSO Deputy Brian Umali was driving back to the Valley Center station after responding to a service call when he saw a man standing at the intersection of Highway 78 and Broadway. The man matched the description in the wanted flyer and he was wearing the same clothing LAPD described, SDSO said.
While arresting the man, an observer flagged the deputy claiming he had been following a juvenile. The victim had run to a nearby grocery store for help, SDSO said.
Lopez is booked into the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Jail. LAPD and Escondido Police are continuing their investigations.
No other information was available.
