Appalling moment creep with long criminal history jumps out of his car and tries to ABDUCT screaming girl, 11, as she walked to her elementary school in Arizona
- An Arizona man with a lengthy criminal past tried to kidnap an 11-year-old schoolgirl on her way to elementary school
- Joseph Leroy Ruiz, 37, was arrested after he tried to grab the fifth-grader in Glendale around 8 a.m. Friday
- Ruiz chased the girl before she could find shelter with her friends who accompanied her to school
This is a shocking moment when an Arizona man with a long criminal past tried to kidnap an 11-year-old schoolgirl on her way to elementary school.
Joseph Leroy Ruiz, 37, was arrested after he tried to grab the fifth-grader in Glendale around 8 a.m. Friday.
Police rushed to Sunset Elementary School on Peoria Avenue when staff reported the attempted kidnapping before 9 a.m.
The young girl told police she left her apartment building and noticed a “suspicious” man at the bottom of the stairs.
The man gave the girl a “strange look” and she ran through her apartment complex. When she reached the street a little later, a silver car stopped in front of her.
Joseph Leroy Ruiz, 37, was arrested after he tried to grab the fifth-grader in Glendale around 8 a.m. Friday
Police identified Ruiz’s car from surveillance footage of the incident and took him into custody
The girl recognized the same man from the apartment building, jumped out of the car and ran towards her, she later told police.
She screamed and screamed for help as she ran to some of her friends as the suspect followed her for a short distance before getting back into his car and driving away, police said.
Three of the child’s friends took her to school, where she reported the terrifying incident.
She described the man as having a beard, wearing blue sweatpants and a black jacket with a hood over his head.
Police identified Ruiz’s car from surveillance footage of the incident and took him into custody.
He was charged with kidnapping and prison interference.
Ruiz chased the girl before she could find shelter with her friends who accompanied her to school
Ruiz has committed previous violent crimes, including attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault from 2013, Glendale police revealed.
“As a father and as a parent, it’s very frightening that she was targeted on her normal walk to school,” said Glendale Police Officer Moroni Mendez.
“Someone tried to take her away from her loving family,” Mendez said.
On Friday, the Washington Elementary School District sent a letter to parents detailing the incident and providing safety tips for both parents and students.
The district also praised their student’s bravery and the quick response of local police.