Terrifying moment suspect, 37, tries to grab an Arizona 5th-grader in broad daylight and kidnap her as she walked to school
Terrifying footage shows how a walk to school turned terrifying for a fifth-grader when she was almost kidnapped in broad daylight by a suspect who is now behind bars.
The attempted kidnapping occurred just before 8 a.m. Friday in Glendale, Arizona, and 37-year-old Joseph Ruiz was taken into custody on charges of kidnapping and deprivation of liberty.
In the clip, the accused creep’s silver sedan is apparently waiting for the young girl after she left her family’s apartment at 43rd Avenue and Onyx Avenue.
At that point, police say Ruiz got out of the car and tried to grab her, but she was able to run away.
After she escaped, neighbors say three students, noticing she was in distress, were able to come to her aid – while the man believed to be Ruiz is seen sulking back to his car before eventually being handcuffed.
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Footage shows how a walk to school turned terrifying for a fifth-grader in Glendale, Arizona – when she was almost kidnapped by a suspect (seen right) who is now behind bars
The attempted kidnapping took place just before 8 a.m. on Friday and 37-year-old Joseph Ruiz (pictured) was taken into custody on charges of kidnapping and deprivation of liberty. Police revealed this week that he already has a criminal past
‘No!’ The girl can be heard screaming as the man chased her, according to a KPHO reporter who viewed the unedited video captured by a neighbor’s surveillance camera.
Glendale police responded to the girl’s call and obtained the neighbor’s security footage, which showed the man making a U-turn before jumping out of his car and chasing the girl for a distance.
The girl — who has not been named — told officers afterward “that (the) unknown adult male had tried to grab her while she was walking to school,” police said — before Ruiz’s criminal history was revealed.
Police in the small town outside Phoenix said they identified the vehicle and the suspect and tracked him down elsewhere in the city later in the day.
“I note that he has a history of violence,” the prosecutor said in the video of Ruiz’s court appearance, according to KPHO.
“He was convicted of aggravated assault, a class 3 dangerous felony,” the official added — before stating that the charge came “after (Ruiz) stabbed his mother in the neck.”
No date was immediately given for the offense, but police did say they believe the girl caught the suspect’s attention as she left her apartment.
While Ruiz remained in custody on Sunday, police said more information would come to light on Monday.
Glendale police responded to the girl’s call and obtained the neighbor’s security footage, which showed the man making a U-turn before jumping out of his car and chasing the girl for a distance.
The girl — who has not been named — told officers afterward “that (the) unknown adult male had tried to grab her while she was walking to school,” police said — before Ruiz’s criminal history was revealed.
In the clip, the accused creep’s silver sedan is apparently waiting for the young girl after she left her family’s apartment at 43rd Avenue and Onyx Avenue.
At that point, police say Ruiz got out of the car and tried to grab her, but she was able to run away.
‘No!’ The girl can be heard screaming as the man chased her, according to a KPHO reporter who viewed the unedited video captured by a neighbor’s surveillance camera
The perpetrator eventually gives up after the girl was able to quickly sprint away
He is seen sulking back to his car, which police used to identify and track him down
Meanwhile, residents greet three other minors who had been in the area that morning for their quick thinking, after noticing that the potential victim needed help and using their bodies to crawl around her.
“They hid her because the man was chasing her,” said Amcy Borquez, whose younger sister and two younger cousins help the girl in another video captured by a neighbor’s security camera.
“I think they were very brave for their age,” Borquez said, adding that the trio were friends with the young girl.
“I tell them all day long, like you’re heroes.”
According to the police disclosure, the victim noticed the suspect following her from the moment she left her apartment, the Glendale resident added: “I told my mom like I don’t care if I’m late for school came, I’m going to walk them every day.’
As of Sunday, the child has yet to be identified, but in a note to parents at nearby Sunset Elementary, district officials warned students to stay alert and turn off their cellphones when walking to and from campus.
While Ruiz remained in custody on Sunday, police said more information would come to light on Monday
Meanwhile, residents greet three other minors who had been in the area that morning for their quick thinking, after noticing that the potential victim needed help and using their bodies to crawl around her.
“They hid her because the man was chasing her,” said Amcy Borquez, whose younger sister and two younger cousins help the girl in another video captured by a neighbor’s security camera.
“I think they were very brave for their age,” Borquez said, adding that the trio were friends with the young girl. “I tell them all day long, like you’re heroes.”
“It’s very scary to know that it happened right in front of my house, knowing that my child, my son, goes to that school,” said Nayeli Martinez, whose camera captured the botched kidnapping.
‘Traveling to and from school in groups. DO NOT TRAVEL ALONE,” the bulletin warned on Friday.
Meanwhile, parents in the normally safe neighborhood fear for the safety of their children, including Nayeli Martinez, whose security camera captured the botched kidnapping.
In an emotional interview, she revealed that her 11-year-old son goes to school with the victim.
“It’s very scary to know that it happened right in front of my house, knowing that my child, my son, goes to that school,” Martinez said of her son Nico,
‘It gave me goosebumps.’
Police are still investigating the attempted kidnapping as of Sunday. In a statement, they said more information about their investigation would be provided on Monday. No bond was immediately provided for Ruiz.
In his own statement, Nico also expressed his awe over the incident.
“Thank God I’m safe,” said the child.