The Ranchita/Warner Springs Sheriff's Substation wants your help following an attempted kidnapping in the East County.
It happened on Wednesday, February 14th just before 7:30 a.m. in the 39000 block of State Route 79 in Warner Springs. The 29-year-old woman told deputies she was getting off her car to get her mail when a man attacked her and tried to get her into his truck. She was able to fight off the attacker and drive away from the area. She says the man followed her from the scene for some distance and then he continued driving westbound on State Route 76 toward Valley Center.
The woman suffered minor injuries and was treated at a hospital and released.
She describes the suspect as a white man between 30 to 40 years old, approximately 5'9" tall, 180 pounds, with dark eyes, strong body odor and rotting missing teeth. She says the man was wearing a black beanie, black jacket, grey shirt, dark pants and black shoes. He was last seen driving a late 90s model pickup truck, possibly a Ford Ranger.
Sheriff's Deputies are working on a sketch of the suspect. It will be released as soon as it is available.
Anyone with information about this case is urged to call Deputy Alvin Vasquez at (760) 782-3353 or the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477. You could be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.
Here are some safety tips from the Sheriff's Department:
*Always be aware of your surroundings.
*Never jog or walk alone.
*Trust your intuition. If you are unsure about something or have a bad feeling about a person or location, remove yourself from that situation immediately.
*If you see something suspicious, say something. Call us right away so we can respond and investigate. Our 24-hour non-emergency line is (858) 565-5200.
*Call 9-1-1- in case of emergency.
