Mother fends off man trying to abduct 5-year-old daughter, police say

Authorities are searching for a man who allegedly attempted to kidnap a 5-year-old girl from an Azusa apartment complex Monday evening but fled after her mother struggled with him, police said.

The mother told Asuza police she was watching her daughter and a friend play in the apartment complex at about 8:30 p.m. when she briefly took her eyes off the children. She told officers she heard one of the children screaming and saw a man pulling her daughter through the complex at 540 E. Gladstone Street. The mother ran after the man and managed to free the girl, who was not physically injured, police said.

Officers searched the area but did not find the man. He was described as a Latino man in his 20s with a bald head, about 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighing 150 pounds. He was said to be wearing blue-jean shorts and a short-sleeved white-collared shirt with a blue and red stripe.

Detectives are asking that anyone with information about the incident to contact the Azusa Police Department Detective Bureau at (626) 812-3200.