Video Reveals 11-Year-Old Escape Kidnapping Attempt Walking To School

A 37-year-old man was arrested in Glendale, Arizona after surveillance video showed him attempting to kidnap an 11-year-old girl as she was walking to school.

“As a father myself, as a parent, it’s very frightening that on her normal walk to school, she was targeted,” Glendale police officer Moroni Mendez said Monday.

“Someone tried to take her away from her loving family.”

Joseph Leroy Ruiz was arrested in connection with the incident and faces charges of attempted kidnapping and custodial interference.

The girl recalled to police someone she believed to be “suspicious” was waiting at the bottom of the stairs of her apartment building and gave her an “odd look” as she passed by.

The young girl said later walking to school a man in a white vehicle ran after her with his arms outstretched, until she ran to some nearby friends.

Police said the girl joined three friends and continued on to school.

When police went to the location of the incident, they examined surveillance video where they caught the car on camera.

Ruiz has a record of charges including attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault in 2013.