Report, Video Of Attempted Child Abduction In French Valley Unfounded

MURRIETA, CA — Social media posts and video of an alleged kidnapping attempt in unincorporated Murrieta this week were unfounded, a Riverside County Sheriff's Department investigation has determined.

The concern started as the week began. Around 8:30 p.m. Sunday, a father and his 10-year-old child were playing in front of their home in the 38000 block of Camarada Lane in French Valley. The dad went inside the house to use the restroom, and shortly after "an unknown male" ran up the driveway toward the child, according to the sheriff's department.

The child ran inside and told the father about the incident.

"The male did not touch or harm the child, and he quickly left the area," the sheriff's department investigation revealed.

Still, there were questions. On Tuesday, a Southwest Station School Resource Deputy began investigating the incident after he learned of social media posts with video allegedly showing an attempted kidnapping in the residential neighborhood.

The video showed a male walking on the sidewalk, stopping, then running up the driveway toward a child.

Deputies launched an investigation and were able to speak to everyone involved after canvassing the neighborhood, according to the sheriff's department.

They found the male: a 16-year-old who lives nearby. He "did not attempt to kidnap or harm the child," the department reported.

In addition to social media posts about the incident from concerned citizens, NBC published an online story Wednesday with the headline, "Video Shows Moments Man Tries to Kidnap 10-Year-Old Girl in California."

The father was interviewed in the story. He believed at the time that his child, a girl, was the victim of an attempted abduction because she ran into the house screaming that a man was trying to kidnap her.

"As a father, as a parent, this is literally your worst nightmare," he told the news outlet.

"I'm mad. I'm furious," he continued. "I don't want any parent to go through this sort of trauma or any kid to undergo this trauma again, and just want to make sure this guy is caught."

The father told NBC he reported the incident to the sheriff's department.

Anyone with information related to the incident is asked to contact Sgt. Joseph Narciso or Investigator Wesley Martinelli of the Southwest Sheriff's Station Investigation Bureau at 951-696-3000.