A 13-year-old girl who bit her attempted kidnapper while walking to school this week has kicked off a search for her assailant in Galveston, Texas.
She was walking from her apartment near the East End of the city to Central Middle School on Monday morning when she heard footsteps behind her near the 900 block of 28th Street, according to the Galveston Police Department. After the man grabbed her from behind, the young teen managed to bite him twice during a brief struggle – she did not sustain any injuries.
Upon breaking away, she ran directly to her school, police said. There, she told teachers what happened and they immediately contacted authorities and a search began as officers arrived at the school at approximately 6:58 a.m.
First, an alert was issued to local medical facilities to notify police of any people seeking treatment for bite injuries. The victim’s parents also retraced her steps with officers to identify exactly where the attack occurred.
“While canvassing the area, investigators obtained security video footage from a business in the 1000 block 24th Street,” the Galveston Police Department said. “The footage shows the student walking through the area, followed shortly after by a man taking the same path. The suspect appears to be a White or Hispanic male wearing a black short-sleeve shirt, blue jeans and what appeared to be a ski mask.”
According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, it has tracked 16,122 attempted abductions in the U.S. from Jan. 1 of 2005 through the end of last year. In 2024 alone, it tracked incidents impacting 712 children. Most targets (62%) tracked by the center were female and 93% of suspects were male.
Close to a third (32%) of the incidents tracked occurred as children were going to or from school and 34% of targets are between the ages of 10 and 14. While half of the children report running or walking away from assailants, just 28% report “some type of reaction” such as yelling or kicking and 22% report help from a “Good Samaritan” or parent.
“Understanding where and when these incidents occur, the tactics used and details about how children got away can help law enforcement with their investigations and can ensure that prevention resources are addressing the risks that children may face,” said the center in a recent report.
Galveston police have asked to the public’s help to identify the suspect in Monday incident. They shared a clip of the video footage on Facebook.
“Anyone with information that may be helpful is requested to contact the Galveston Police Department at 409-765-3777,” said the department. “Tips may also be submitted anonymously to Galveston County Crime Stoppers at 409-763-8477 or online at www.galveston.crimestoppersweb.com.”