Authorities release video of attempted abduction outside Walmart

Man was driving dark red Pontiac, possibly 2008 Grand Prix

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office released video surveillance Tuesday that they said shows a man attempting to abduct a girl outside a Walmart in Poinciana.

Authorities said the man approached the child in the parking lot of the Walmart at 904 Cypress Parkway and attempted to get the 10-year-old girl into his car.

The video of the incident in the parking lot shows a red sedan pulling up and the driver’s side door opening. The girl is seen walking toward the store, then talking to the man. After a few seconds, she runs into the store.

Officials said the man was driving a dark red Pontiac, possibly a 2008 Grand Prix.

[READ: Grandmother of attempted kidnapping victim speaks to News 6]

The man is described as Hispanic, 50 to 60 years old, with a bald head and husky build. He was last seen wearing blue jeans and a red shirt with a motorcycle on the front.

The girl was going back to her grandmother’s car to get a debit card when the encounter happened, deputies said.

She told deputies the man told her to "get in the car," according to the report.

[Watch video of the attempted abduction in the video player below.]

The girl yelled "No" and immediately told her grandmother what happened, deputies said.

Osceola County Sheriff Russ Gibson said it was clear the man's intention were not good.

"He is a danger to our society, a danger to our children and we want to use every resource that we can to get this threat off of our street," Gibson said.

The sheriff commended the girl's response to run away and tell an adult.

"This is what we teach our children, if someone tried to get you in the car, tried to help you find their puppy, don't do that," Gibson said. "You turn, you run, you make sounds and you let a parent know."

Gibson said the fact that the man tried to abduct the child in broad daylight in a busy parking lot says a lot about his mindset.

"Many times these suspects build up to this moment, they could be people looking at child porn and doing things like that and build up to this moment to where they actually put thoughts into actions," Gibson said. "And that's why it's so dangerous."

Deputies said if the man tried it with one child, he could try it again and succeed.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 407-348-2222 or Crimeline at 800-423-8477.


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