Young girls escape abductor in park

Due to some bravery and quick thinking, two young girls are safe today after being attacked by a male predator around 5 p.m. Sunday evening at the community park within the Castlegate subdivision in Queen Creek.

The young girls, ages 7 and 9, were playing in the park when one of them was approached by a male subject. The girl was approached while on a slide and asked by the perpetrator if she wanted to play. She was then grabbed and told not to scream. The victim screamed and the suspect released her, turning his attention to the other girl. Both girls were able to escape on their bicycles, but were pursued by the subject on foot before he was scared away when a car entered the area.

Pinal County Sheriff Chris Vasquez said Monday that the girls did the right thing in screaming.

“It’s evident these girls had been schooled on the right thing to do,” Vasquez said. “Parents should spend at least 25 minutes every day with their children, advising them on ‘Stranger Danger’ and how to react if it ever happens to them.” Vasquez advises kids to play in groups and also, whenever possible, with adult supervision.

The victims described their attacker as a white male, 5’8″, 180-190 pounds. The suspect was wearing a long sleeved black shirt and blue jeans with black tennis shoes. He has short, dark brown to black hair that stands up on top and had black sunglasses that he was wearing on top of his head. The suspect’s vehicle was described as an older model small truck with a toolbox, make unknown, either blue green in color or teal. The top of the vehicle had faded paint, possibly rusted.

Deputies responded within minutes to a call for help, but the suspect had fled the area.

One factor that made this attempted abduction scarier is that the suspect did not appear to be afraid or run away once the girl screamed, and the two victims tried to leave the area. The sheriff’s office said this kind of behavior by an abductor is not the norm, but child predators can be very unpredictable.

The sheriff’s office said it is investigating to see if there have been any similar incidents around the Phoenix area recently.

There have been a string of attacks and attempted abductions in both Mesa and Chandler recently, but police haven’t been able to connect them to this latest attack.

In Mesa earlier this month, two girls, ages 12 and 15, were attacked in separate incidents. In those two cases, the assailant was described as white or Hispanic, 35 to 40 years old, about 6 feet tall and weighing 140 pounds.

Some Maricopa community members either live or work in the Queen Creek area. Anyone who may have seen this suspect or suspect vehicle in the Queen Creek incident is asked to contact the Person’s Crimes Division at (520) 866-6800, ext. 3.