Anaheim man arrested following police pursuit for alleged attempted kidnapping of 13-year-old girl

ANAHEIM, Calif. (CNS) -- Police arrested a 31-year-old Anaheim man for an alleged attempted kidnapping of a 13-year-old girl.

The alleged attempted kidnapping happened on March 31 around 2:45 p.m. in the 2600 block of West Ball Road, according to Anaheim police Sgt. Shane Carringer.

The girl was walking home from Dale Jr. High School when she saw a man, later identified as Andrew Pio, sitting in a parked truck. Pio left the truck and allegedly tried to force her into the passenger seat of his truck, Carringer said.

The girl managed to fight off her would-be kidnapper and fled the scene, he said.

The truck was described as a white pickup with a gray tool rack in the bed of the truck, which was possibly a Toyota Tundra or Ford 150, he said.

On Friday around 2:30 p.m., police tried to make a traffic stop on a truck being driven by Pio in Brea, Carringer said. The truck matched the suspect vehicle police were searching for.

Pio was finally arrested after leading police on a pursuit when the California Highway Patrol laid down a spike strip on the 5 Freeway at La Paz Road, Carringer said. A subsequent investigation by Anaheim police determined that Pio was the suspected kidnapper.

Pio is currently being held at the Anaheim city jail on $600,000 bail, Carringer said.

Anyone with information on this case was asked to call Anaheim police detectives at (714) 765-1419. Tipsters can also call OC Crime Stoppers at (855) 847-6227.

Copyright 2022, City News Service, Inc.