Crime & Safety
Suspected Kidnapping Was Case Of Mistaken Identity: Scotts Valley
A 17-year-old girl was crossing the street at Mt. Hermon and Kings Village roads when a man stopped his truck and pulled her inside.
SCOTTS VALLEY, CA — Scotts Valley police said what they thought was an attempted kidnapping Sunday was a case of mistaken identity.
Someone called police at about 7 p.m. Sunday to report an attempted kidnapping at Mt. Hermon and Kings Village roads.
Police said a 17-year-old girl was crossing the street at the intersection when a man stopped his truck and tried to pull her inside.
Find out what's happening in Scotts Valleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Following an investigation, police discovered that the man thought the girl was his daughter who has repeatedly run away.
The girl was wearing clothing similar to what his daughter was last seen wearing and the girl was about the same age and stature, according to police.
Find out what's happening in Scotts Valleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Also, the girl was covering her head with a hood and was covering her face with her hands. The man thought his daughter was trying to avoid him.
When the man realized the girl was not his daughter, he let her go and told witnesses what had happened. Police said no offense occurred. Police said detectives corroborated the man's story about his daughter and the physical similarities between the two girls.
Police said they conferred with the girl's family and the Santa Cruz District Attorney's Office and decided not to seek charges against the man.
Police said they are confident the man poses no threat to the community.
ORIGINAL POST SEPT. 17, 2019:
SCOTTS VALLEY, CA — Police are searching for a suspect in an attempted kidnapping in Scotts Valley, police said.
Someone reported the attempted kidnapping to police at about 7 p.m. Sunday, about three hours after it happened at Mt. Hermon and Kings Village roads.
Police said a 17-year-old girl was crossing the street at Mt. Hermon and Kings Village roads when a man stopped his truck and pulled her inside.
A witness stopped and the suspect fled. Police don't know who the witness was. Police said the victim was not injured and she did not know the suspect.
He's described as a Caucasian man in his early 50s with gray hair and a gray goatee. He was 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall and about 200 pounds, according to police.
He may have been driving a green pickup truck, possibly a late 1990s or early 2000s Ford F-150 with a camper shell.
Anyone with information about the attempted kidnapping is asked to call the Scotts Valley Police Department at (831) 440-5670.