ARIZONA NEWS

Watch: Man allegedly tries to kidnap 11-year-old girl walking to school in Glendale

Jan 29, 2024, 8:22 AM | Updated: 12:27 pm

YouTube video

PHOENIX – Police released video Monday showing a man allegedly trying to kidnap an 11-year-old girl as she walked to school in Glendale last week.

Officers responded to a report of an attempted abduction near 43rd and Onyx avenues, south of Peoria Avenue, just before 9 a.m. Friday, the Glendale Police Department said.

The girl told police that an unknown man jumped out of his car and tried to grab her while she was walking to Sunset Elementary School.

The video released Monday shows a compact silver sedan driving up and parking on the side of a street as a girl walks by. A man in a black hoodie sweatshirt gets out of the car and chases the girl for a short distance before returning to his car.

Police used the footage to help identify the vehicle involved. Officers canvassed the area and found the car with 37-year-old Joseph Leroy Ruiz sitting inside wearing the clothing that matched the victim’s description, police said.

Ruiz was booked into jail on counts of attempted kidnapping and attempted custodial interference. His bond was set at $25,000.

What do court records say about Glendale kidnapping incident?

According to court documents, Ruiz lives in the same apartment complex as the girl.

The victim saw Ruiz sitting on a staircase when she left her apartment that morning, according to the probable cause statement for his arrest.

She left the area quickly because she felt uncomfortable, but he pulled up next to her and got out while she was walking through the neighborhood.

“When the male subject got out of the car, he placed both of his hands in front of his body and began to run towards her as though he was trying to grab a hold of her. She became incredibly scared and ran away from the male subject. She was screaming as she was running away from the subject,” the probable cause statement says.

Police lauded the victim for her bravery and taking the proper actions to prevent the situation from turning out differently.

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Watch: Man allegedly tries to kidnap 11-year-old girl walking to school in Glendale