Orange County deputies searching for attempted abduction suspect in Tustin

TUSTIN, Calif. (KABC) -- Investigators are searching for a man who tried to kidnap an 11-year-old girl as she walked her dog in an upscale Tustin neighborhood Tuesday afternoon.

The encounter happened around 4:30 p.m., when the suspect, who was driving a white van, approached the girl near Salt Drive and Simon Ranch Road.

"Initially he asked her if she needed help getting somewhere or if she needed help with her dog. When she refused and started walking the other direction he then became much more persistent and told her to get inside the car," said Lt. Jeff Hallock, Orange County Sheriff's Department spokesman.

She was able to run away toward C E Utt Middle School. The suspect then drove off, heading southbound on Browning Avenue from Salt Air Drive toward Irvine Boulevard.

"I have a 12 year old, so this is very alarming to me," said Elena Chung, who lives near where the incident occurred. "That little girl was smart in running away."

The girl was also able to provide a good description of the suspect and his vehicle.

The car is described as a white box van, possibly an early 2000 Chevrolet Astro. On both sides of the car there is a "Quick Clean" logo and a recyclable water symbol with a blue rain drop. The alleged victim said the logo was peeling off the side of the van.

At least two neighbors told Eyewitness News they recall seeing a van matching that description earlier that day driving around the neighborhood.

Guadalupe Marroquin said she saw the van at the corner of Red Hill Avenue and Skyline Drive in Tustin just a few hours before the attempted kidnapping.

Another neighbor, Dr. Michael Waldman, said he saw the van driving through the neighborhood earlier in the week. He remembers the "Quick Clean" logo on the side of it. He thought the vehicle looked out of place, but originally thought it was someone working in the neighborhood.

"I just looked at it and I said, 'it was kind of unusual.' I didn't know why it was in the neighborhood. It's kind of eerie," Waldman said.

Detectives were speaking with witnesses to try to identify the suspect. He's described as a male Hispanic in his 30s, with a shaved head, who was wearing sunglasses and a blue zip-up jacket.

Anyone with information can call OC Sheriff's Department at (714) 647-7060 or (714) 647-7000. Anonymous tips can be sent to "OC Crime Stoppers" at (855) 847-6227 or OCcrimestoppers.org.