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6-Year-Old Girl Fends Off Would-Be Kidnapper At Park
A brave little girl fought off a kidnapper who attempted to drag her away from family and friends at a local park on Sunday.
A transient was arrested after grabbing a 6-year-old girl at Arcadia County Park, a sheriff's deputy told City News Service. The kidnapping attempt occurred at 405 South Santa Anita Avenue at 3:35 p.m. Sunday.
"The girl was playing with her friends in the picnic area by the softball fields when Jason Macklin Dell, 33 years of age, grabbed her by the hand and began dragging her out of the park away from her friends and family,'' Jones said. "The girl screamed and fought to get away from the man and was able to free herself after being pulled approximately 100 feet.''
The girl ran to her mother, who then called 911 and confronted the man. Fortunately, police arrived and "quickly detained" the suspect, and the girl was not hurt, Jones told CNS.
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Dell was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and annoying a child and booked into the sheriff's Temple Station and being held in lieu of $400,000 bail, Jones said. His last known address was the Inland Empire.
Because the man actually dragged the girl 100 feet, it is considered a kidnapping and not just an attempted kidnapping, NBC News reports.
Residents were surprised by the incident. Joe Chang told NBC, "It's not something you usually hear of in Arcadia."
Chad Watkins told the channel, he feels the park is "pretty safe," saying that the local homeless population is usually "nicer" than the one in L.A and "they don't try and bother you."
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