La Presa Middle School Student Escapes Alleged Abduction Attempt

A 12-year-old girl walking to eluded a possible abduction attempt Tuesday morning, according to officials with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

A little after 8 a.m., the girl was approached by a dark-colored minivan near Ramona Avenue and St. George Street in La Presa, said sheriff's Sgt. Mario Zermeno. One of the two men in the van asked the girl if she wanted a ride, at which point the other man opened the passenger-side door and reportedly grabbed the girl's backpack and began pulling her toward the vehicle.

The girl broke free and ran to the school, where she reported what had happened to school officials, who notified the girls parents. She was uninjured.

The Sheriff's Department was notified and responded with a patrol search of the area. Zermeno said that detectives are still investigating and searching for the van and its occupants.

La Presa Middle School Principal Mike Allmann said that the students were sent home with a community alert of the incident—in English and Spanish—and that an automated phone message was also sent.

The girl described the van as Dodge or Honda with dark tinted windows and a dented back bumper, said Lt. Dave Brown.

City News Service contributed to this story.