An 11-year-old girl successfully fought off a man who allegedly tried to abduct her at a bus stop in Florida.
Escambia County deputies have the man in custody who attempted to kidnap the young girl on Tuesday morning.
While the girl waited at the bus stop at 7 a.m., the would-be kidnapper, later identified as Jared Paul Stanga, circled a few times in his SUV before jumping out and snatching the unsuspecting girl.
Though he was reportedly holding a knife, the girl was able to quickly shove the attacker off and escape his grip. The girl is seen running away as the man retreats back to his Dodge Journey.
The entire scary situation was captured by surveillance cameras and police were able to track down Stanga’s vehicle’s license plate number. He was arrested later that day and charged with attempted kidnapping of a child under 13, aggravated assault with a weapon and simple battery, reported CNN.
The girl is now safe with her family.
“She seems to be doing well,” said Sheriff Chip Simmons.
“I’m not so sure if she actually comprehends exactly what could have happened. She understands what happened. She fought like a trooper, and one of these days I’m going to give her an award for fighting, and fighting, and fighting.”
In an odd twist, Simmons reported that Stanga had briefly approached the girl two weeks earlier at the bus stop.
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