“This victim did everything right,” Moroni Mendez of the Glendale Police Department tells Inside Edition.
A brave Arizona girl saved herself from being kidnapped, according to police, by screaming for help after a suspected child predator got out of his car and tried to grab her.
Surveillance video shows a car making a u-turn as the 11-year-old walked down the sidewalk on her way to school. The suspect got out of a car and the girl ran from the scene and called for help.
“This victim did everything right,” Moroni Mendez of the Glendale Police Department tells Inside Edition. “The most important thing she did right I would say is just fighting for her life.”
The fifth-grader from was given a shout-out by her school.
“We want to acknowledge the bravery of our student, who quickly ran from the area, found the safety of classmates and reported the incident to her teacher when she arrived to school,” the school says.
Joseph Ruiz, 37, was taken into custody. Ruiz lives in the same apartment complex as the 11-year-old, who police say was targeted.
The 37-year-old Ruiz was booked into jail on counts of attempted kidnapping and attempted custodial interference. His bond was set at $25,000.
In 2002, Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped from her bedroom in Utah when she was 14. Smart appeared on "America’s Most Wanted" on Fox Monday night. She said she practiced screaming with her kids.
“If you have the chance to get away safely, if you have the chance to scream or kick or yell, and I fully recognize that does not come naturally, take it,” Smart said.
