Elementary school student is almost abducted
An attempted kidnapping took place in front of the NPHS football stadium on Sept. 21.
The victim, a nine-year-old girl, was riding her bike to Walnut Elementary School when at 8:15 a.m., she encountered a man with a white van on Spanish Gate Drive. The van was described as squarely shaped, similar to a Chevy Astro, without side windows. Additionally, the front and back windows had a dark tint.
According to the victim, the man tried to coax her into the van, and when she refused, he grabbed her leg to pull her in. She was able to escape unharmed, notifying officials when she got to school that morning.
The girl described her attacker as a white or Hispanic man in his 30s. He had brown hair and wore sunglasses, black Nike shoes, black clothing and a mask that covered the lower half of his face.
In a district-wide email sent to parents, CVUSD said, “The safety and well-being of our students is always our highest priority, and all CVUSD safety policies and procedures were, and continue to be, followed.”
They advised students to walk in groups and not wear headphones to school, and when faced with a threatening situation, students should follow their instincts and report it to the authorities immediately.
There have not been any suspects identified for the attempted kidnapping as of now. Anyone with information about the incident should contact Detective Sgt. Dan Hawes at 805-371-8392 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477. Ventura County Crime Stoppers is offering $1000 to anyone with information about possible suspects.