San Diego Police Arrest Man Alleged Attempted Kidnapping at Mission Valley Mall
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“San Diego Police arrested a man today for attempting to kidnap a six-year-old girl at the Mission Valley Mall on Tuesday. Using various investigative leads, SDPD successfully took 42-year-old Rene Lujan of San Diego into custody after the department’s Automated License Plate Reader system aided officers in locating the suspect’s vehicle used in relation to the attempted kidnapping.
At approximately 1:30 p.m. on June 18, a mother was walking next to her daughter, who was pushing her younger sibling in a stroller on the east side of the mall. A man walked past the family, began to follow them, and then grabbed the six-year-old girl, lifting her off the ground. The man walked a few feet in the opposite direction while carrying the girl until she began screaming, prompting him to release her.
The suspect, now identified as Lujan, fled on foot westbound through the mall. SDPD’s Eastern Division responded to the scene and obtained a description and license plate of the car used to flee. The license plate was entered into the department’s License Plate Reader (LPR) database. The listed vehicle alerted officers Thursday afternoon that the vehicle had passed under an LPR reader in Downtown San Diego, prompting an immediate attempt to find and stop the car in that area. Lujan and his vehicle were located and stopped on State Route 94 near Home Avenue, and he was taken into custody.
A second attempted kidnapping of a five-year-old girl with similar circumstances and suspect description occurred at Mission Valley Mall just after 2 p.m. on Thursday. SDPD is actively investigating to determine if it is connected to the first incident.
Anyone with further information about the crimes or the person involved should contact the SDPD’s Eastern Division at (858) 495-7900 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.”
