A 12-year-old Santa Rosa girl fought off a man who tried to pull her into a car as she was walking to school on Monday morning, police said.
The attempted kidnapping was reported at 8:30 a.m. along Calistoga Road near Piedmont Drive, according to Santa Rosa police.
The girl, who lives in the neighborhood, was on her way to a local elementary school when a black BMW sedan headed southbound on Calistoga did a U-turn and pulled to the east curb, according to police.
The driver opened the front passenger door, threatened the girl and then tried to pull her into the car, police said.
The girl fought him off and ran home, according to police. She was not physically injured.
The suspect was last seen driving northbound on Calistoga Road. He is described as a white man in his late 40s or early 50s, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, thin and balding with a beard.
He was wearing a tan shirt with an emblem on the left side and torn blue jeans.
The car was an older black BMW four-door sedan with no front license plate, police said.
Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to contact Santa Rosa police immediately at (707) 528-5222. Residents in the neighborhood of Calistoga Road and Piedmont Drive with surveillance cameras should check for footage from Monday morning to see if there are any useful images or videos. If footage or images are found, contact the police Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Team at (707) 543-3595. Community members can also use the SRPD online tip line at www.srcity.org/CrimeTips.
A reward of up to $2,500 is being offered by the Sonoma County Alliance Community Engagement and Safety Rewards Fund. The reward is for information leading to the arrest of the suspected kidnapper in this investigation.
Police are working directly with schools in the area to provide additional security during school dismissals and the next several mornings.
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