Man Charged with Kidnapping a Teen After Offering a Ride in Mission Hills
Teen Girl Kidnapped After Accepting Ride in Mission Hills
A man was arrested on Friday in connection with the kidnapping of a 16-year-old girl who had accepted a ride with her mother in the Mission Hills area of Los Angeles.
The incident took place around 9:50 a.m. near the intersection of Sepulveda and Nordhoff streets, according to Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Mission Division Captain Garrett Payton.
Captain Payton explained that the man approached the teen and her mother in a vehicle, offering them a lift to a nearby McDonald’s located at Sepulveda and Parthenia. The two accepted the ride voluntarily.
Upon arrival at the restaurant, as the mother prepared to enter the backseat with her daughter, the driver suddenly sped away with the girl still inside the vehicle. Authorities report that the suspect drove the girl to the 8500 block of Columbus Avenue, where she managed to escape.
Police have classified the incident as a “valid kidnapping,” with the mother serving as a witness to the event.
Following the incident, the suspect was apprehended in a nearby area.
In related news, the LAPD recently released a sketch of a man suspected of attempting to kidnap two teenage girls in North Hills last Sunday. In that case, the suspect approached the victims, aged 11 and 16, while they were walking near Sepulveda Boulevard and Nordhoff Street and inquired if they needed a ride. The suspect is described as being between 21 and 23 years old and was driving a dark green older model Honda Civic.
Authorities are actively reaching out to previous victims to ascertain whether they can identify the suspect or link him to other incidents.
The investigation into both cases is ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Mission Division Detectives at (818) 838-9810 or reach out to LA Regional Crime Stoppers.
