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FRIDLEY, Minn. (FOX 9) - A 7-year-old girl escaped an attempted abduction Friday in Fridley, Minnesota.
Now, the girl’s father said he won't allow his daughter to go out of the house alone or ride her bike alone, but he is grateful she was able to get away.
When neighbor Tom Procai saw two little girls riding their bikes down the street in front of his house followed by a red car, he didn't think anything of it. But, when he noticed only one of them ride back, he suspected something was wrong.
"The first thing that came to mind when I saw the other little girl sitting there looking concerned was, ‘oh, no, he didn't run the other little girl over did he,’" he said.
Procai said he ran out of the house and saw the driver trying to pull a 7-year-old girl into his car. But, she was able to break free and run to safety.
“I see this girl kind of hanging behind her bike, trying to fight this guy off...I come scooting out and he scooted out and almost ran over a little old lady," he said.
This is the third attempted child abduction or child luring case around the metro in the last few days.
In Mounds View, police said a man tried to lure a 10-year-old boy into his white SUV on Monday afternoon. Meanwhile, in Inver Grove Heights, police warned residents about a man who tried to lure two girls into his van Monday night. The girls’ stepfather scared him off.
“Everyone keep your eyes open. Make noise. Make noise," Procai said.
Fridley police are looking for the owner or driver of the red Acura RSX in their attempted abduction in hopes someone can identify him before he claims another victim.
"If I wouldn't have went, ‘hey hey,’ in two seconds, he would have had her. That's what I think," Procai said.
Procai said all he saw was the suspect's arm as he reached out of the car to grab the little girl.
If you recognize the car in this story, call the Anoka County Sheriff's Office at 763-427-1212.