Woman Arrested For Attempted To Kidnap 4-Year-Old At Elementary School
VACAVILLE (CBS13) — A 56-year-old Vacaville resident was arrested Thursday morning after attempting to kidnap a 4-year-old boy outside of an elementary school, Vacaville Police Department said.
Vacaville PD said they began receiving calls just after 8 a.m. concerning the woman, identified as Aileen Caringal, displaying erratic behavior near Cooper Elementary School.
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As a step-parent was dropping off the 4-year-old's older sibling, Caringal approached the young boy and asked if he was ready for school, police said. Caringal then grabbed the boy's hand and began leading him away from the campus.
When the step-parent questioned her, Caringal said she was the boy's teacher and referred to him as "Brian," which is not the boy's name. Officers said while the parent was able to grab the boy from her, Caringal followed them and continued insisting she was the boy's teacher — going as far as threatening to call the police if she was not allowed to take the boy away.
Another adult nearby assisted by taking the boy into the school office while the step-parent waited outside for police to arrive. At this time, Caringal ran into a nearby home on the 700 block of Christine Drive, which Vacaville PD later identified as Caringal's primary residence.
Claudia Wilson could not believe it when her daughter explained what had happened at school on Thursday morning.
"She got real close to where she could have got her but she didn't," Wilson said. "As she was walking on the sidewalk the lady walked straight towards her. My daughter got concerned and moved my granddaughter over."
It turns out that the lady was her neighbor, Caringal.
Police said Caringal was also taking pictures of vehicles and people in the area and at one point attempted to open the car door of a vehicle as a parent was dropping their child off for school.
Caringal was arrested for kidnapping and trespassing on a school campus while interfering with children.