Suspect sought in attempted kidnapping of 8-year-old girl in Buena Park restroom

BUENA PARK, Calif. (KABC) -- Buena Park police are searching for a suspect who allegedly hid in a park restroom stall and attempted to kidnap an 8-year-old girl Sunday afternoon.

The attempted kidnapping occurred at George Bellis Park near Knott Avenue and 8th Street at about 1:15 p.m.

Police say the victim, who was attending her sibling's little league baseball game with her family, went to the girl's restroom with her 10-year-old sister.

As she exited the stall, the suspect appeared from a larger stall within the girl's restroom. He then bear-hugged her from behind and dragged her into his stall.

The victim pushed and screamed, forcing the suspect to let her go.

"She fought back, struggled, yelled. The subject released her and then left casually out the door," Buena Park police Capt. Gary T. Hendricks said.

The girls told their parents who then called Buena Park police.

The suspect was described as a Hispanic man between 25 and 35 years old, standing around 6 feet 1 inch tall, 280 pounds with black spiked hair and brown eyes.

The victim told police he was clean-shaven, smelled like cologne and did not appear to be homeless. He had no visible tattoos and was wearing a dark blue T-shirt, gray shorts or pants and solid black shoes at the time of the attempted kidnapping.

A blue beach cruiser bicycle with white diagonal stripes and tall handlebars was seen in the area, but police were unsure if it belonged to the attacker.

"This was very brazen. There was a baseball game going on at the time. It was 1 o'clock in the afternoon; it wasn't late at night or anything like that," Hendricks said.

Buena Park police suspect at least one out of the hundreds of people at the park Sunday may have spotted the suspect or even photographed him.

If you have any information on this case, you're urged to contact the Buena Park Police Department at (714) 562-3901 or (714) 562-3963.