Merced girl cries out. Her father responds, police say, and helps stop a kidnapping
A man was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping a girl in Merced, with police saying he accosted the 14-year-old in the parking lot of a laundromat before her father came to the rescue.
The man, identified by Merced Police as Paul Rodriguez, approached and grabbed the girl by the forearm, dragging her between two parked cars Saturday night in the 1100 block of West Olive Drive, the agency stated in a Sunday news release posted on the department’s Facebook page.
Her “father and another man heard her cries for help and confronted Rodriguez,” according to the release.
Rodriguez, 30, fled the scene before officers responded at 7:26 p.m., but an officer located him a short distance away near the 1100 block of Meadows Avenue, the release stated. Rodriguez was identified by the father and arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and annoying/molesting a child. He was booked at the Merced County Jail.
The girl was not hurt, according to police.
Merced Police are asking anyone with information to contact Officer Ramon Ayala at (209) 385-6905 or ayalar@cityofmerced.org. To leave an anonymous tip, call (209) 385-4725 or go online to mercedareacrimestoppers.org.
