Unidentified Man Allegedly Attempts Kidnapping Girl At Gas Station
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - A man allegedly tried to lure a little girl into his van in broad daylight, but the 11-year-old managed to scare him away.
It's still too soon for Azialin Criswell to talk about what happened to her without breaking into tears.
"It like makes me want to cry but I try to stay strong for her," said Azialin's mother Amber Criswell.
Amber says her daughter's terrifying encounter with the attempted kidnapping suspect happened on July 4, just before 11 a.m. at the Arco on Raley Boulevard and Bell Avenue.
"I thought he was just going to get gas, but he didn't. He stopped," said Azialin.
Azialin says she was pumping the gas while her mom was inside paying. That's when she spotted the white van pull up next to her.
"He just stares at me," said Azialin.
Then she says the driver of the van told her calmly to get in his van, three times.
"She just yelled 'no i'm not coming with you,' " said Amber.
As her 11-year-old daughter continued to tell the man no, that's when Amber walked out of the gas station and found Aizalian frightened and shaking.
"I thought he was going to take me away," said Azialin.
By the time Amber knew what was going on, the man sped away, too far for her to see his license plate.
However, surveillance cameras caught the attempted abduction on tape; and now the pair is relying on the video to help police catch the creep.
"She was just terrified and I was just scared but grateful that she was with me," said Amber.
Because this is under investigation, police say they can't release the surveillance tape.
Azialin says the man drove a newer white van with dark trim on the bottom.
He had a goatee, wasn't wearing a shirt, but had on a tanned baseball cap on.
