ATTEMPTED KIDNAPPING OF TEEN JOGGER IN EAST COUNTY

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September 6, 2010 (Blossom Valley) – A man driving a white van with tinted rear windows attempted to kidnap a teen jogging in Blossom Valley yesterday around 5:15 p.m. The suspect, a white or Hispanic male, age 20-35, was wearing a Padres baseball cap. He reportedly tackled the  woman, 19, from behind and tried to drag her into the bushes, tearing her clothing.

 

“He lost his balance and fell down, which allowed her to escape,” Sergeant Brent Strahm at the San Diego Sheriff’s Department told East County Magazine.

 

“The girl was running up the hill on Quail Canyon towards Palomino Ridge from Blossom Springs Road,” Robin Johnson, Blossom Valley Neighborhood Watch Captain, said. “The man grabbed her from behind and ripped her shirt....she hit him and ran away. He didn't drive past her as she ran home, so he had to have made a U-turn and gone back up Quail Canyon.” He was last seen driving on Quail Canyon Road toward Blossom Valley, Strahm noted.

 

The van was a box-style van, possibly a Ford, according to the Sheriff’s report. The teen used her cell phone to call for help after the attack at 5:16 p.m. Sunday.

 

“We are watching the area today,” said Strahm, who encouraged the public to call the Santee Sheriff’s substation with any information at (619)956-4000.

 

He offered this advice to other runners or joggers. “Be conscious of your surroundings. If you see something that’s weird, don’t hesitate to call us immediately.”

 

View map of the attempted kidnapping location in East County, north of I-8 near Lakeside and Lake Jennings.  


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