MEADOWVIEW, Calif. – Sacramento police have arrested a 20-year-old man after he allegedly attempted to kidnap a girl on her way to school Friday morning.
Police said Joseph Dumarce was sitting in his car around 7:30 a.m. when he stopped a 13-year-old girl on her way to John Still Elementary School and asked for directions.
As the victim answered, she noticed the driver was masturbating. She tried to walk away, but Dumarce pulled his car in front of her, police said.
“Then he exited his vehicle and attempted to grab her,” Sgt. Vance Chandler with the Sacramento Police Department said.
The victim was able to break free and ran to the school. Police were later able to arrest Dumarce due in part to surveillance video and the victim’s description.
Neighbor Sofia Nyothson used to feel safe letting her kids play alone outside of her home until she learned that the attempted abduction happened just across the street.
“It’s a wake-up call. It’s unbelievable,” she said. “Kids should feel safe. We should be safe for our kids to walk to school, walk home from school, walk with their friends. I’m at a loss for words. It’s scary.”