SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A man was arrested for grabbing a 12-year-old girl while she jogged Friday on the Seminole Wekiva Trail, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office said.
The girl told investigators that she was running around 6:30 p.m. on North Street in unincorporated Altamonte when a “suspicious” man asked her if she wanted a running partner, but she declined.
Recommended Videos
The girl became fearful when the man followed her closely, officials said.
The girl used her cellphone to call her mother, who was waiting for her on a nearby trail. The mother told her daughter to run as fast as she could, and as she did, the man grabbed her arm, authorities said.
She screamed for help and was able to break free from the man’s grip, officials said.
The girl's mother witnessed part of the encounter and chased the suspect.
The mother called 911 and provided dispatchers with a description of the man, whom police tracked down on the trail.
The suspect was identified at Cesar Reyes, 23, of Orlando. He was was arrested on charges of false imprisonment and battery.
Reyes was booked on a $45,400 bond and is no longer in custody, officials said.