Posing As 'Russian Police Officer,' Homeless Woman Tries To Kidnap Child: Police

SANTA MONICA, CA — A homeless woman with a long criminal history was arrested this week after trying to kidnap an 8-year-old by telling the girl she was a "Russian police officer," the Santa Monica Police Department said Thursday.

Police responded to a parking lot at Ocean Park and Lincoln boulevards at around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, where they arrested suspect Courtney Perrone, 39, who had tried to flee after the unsuccessful kidnapping attempt, police said.

The girl had been helping a neighbor load pets into a vehicle when Perrone approached the child and said she was a Russian police officer. She took the child, which led to a physical altercation with the neighbor, police said.

As the neighbor secured the girl in the front seat of his vehicle, he tried to get Perrone to leave before she threatened him with a switchblade-style knife and attempted to open the car door, police said.

She ran away from the scene, toward a Gelson's parking lot where she was found next to a car. Police said Perrone appeared to be homeless and living out of the BMW.

Perrone was previously arrested in other states for assault and battery, resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance and trespassing, police said.

She was recently released by the Los Angeles Police Department due to insufficient evidence related to a charge of assault with a deadly weapon, police said.

She's on probation stemming from an assault with a deadly weapon case in Nevada and has an outstanding warrants for her arrest in New Hampshire connected to forgery and stalking charges, police said.

Perrone is set to be arraigned Friday on felony charges of attempted kidnapping and false imprisonment and a misdemeanor charge for the knife, police said.