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Sheriff: Girl fights off, runs away from suspected kidnapper, video captures entire incident

Video from a nearby security camera captured the attempted kidnapping, according to the sheriff.

PENSACOLA, Fla. — A 30-year-old Florida man is facing attempted kidnapping charges after detectives say a video shows him trying to snatch an 11-year-old waiting for her school bus. 

Escambia County sheriff's deputies arrested Jared Paul Stanga hours after the attempted kidnapping in Pensacola.

Video from a nearby security camera shows a van drive past and then return. A man jumps out, pulls a knife and grabs the girl in a headlock as she tries to run away. He tries to drag her to the van, but she struggles and they fall. 

She then runs away as the attacker runs back to a van and speeds off.

Deputies worked quickly to find the suspect, the sheriff Chip Simmons told ABC News. They searched for surveillance video, tracked down witnesses and went house to house. About 50 deputies scoured the area, including on bicycle units, Simmons said.

Credit: AP
In this undated booking photo released by the Escambia County Sheriff's Office is Jared Paul Stanga, 30, in Fla. Stanga is charged with attempted kidnapping and aggravated assault on an 11-year-old girl in Pensacola, Fla., on Tuesday, May 18, 2021. Stanga remained jailed without bond Wednesday, May 19. (Escambia County Sheriff's Office via AP)

Stanga also allegedly had "blue slime" all over his arms, Simmons said. During the attempted abduction, the girl was playing with a blue slime, the sheriff said. 

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