Fort Lauderdale Police are looking for a suspect after a 10-year-old girl says the same man tried to kidnap her twice – WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Authorities in South Florida are actively looking for a man suspected of trying to lure a 10-year-old girl into his van with candy — twice in the same week.

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The girl told police that the same man approached her on Wednesday and Thursday mornings, but she did not tell anyone about the attempted abductions until a witness intervened on her behalf during the the second meeting. WSVN reported.

The victim’s mother says WPLG that her daughter said the man parked her van on the side of the street, came over, opened the door, “and he asked her if she wanted some candy.”

Surveillance video released Friday by the Fort Lauderdale Police Department shows the girl fleeing from the would-be kidnapper, the tv channel reported.

Police say when the girl refused to get into the suspect’s black van on her way to school on Wednesday morning, he tried to pull her into the vehicle but a struggle ensued and the girl escaped. WSVN reported.

The next morning, the girl said the same man approached her a second time, but a witness saw the exchange and asked if the girl was okay. When it became clear that the child was afraid of the man claiming to be her grandfather, the witness told the girl to run.

“She runs to Bendle Elementary where she reports it to the staff,” the Fort Lauderdale detachment said. Ali Adamson told the TV station.

The school, which the girl does not attend, contacted the authorities, FoxNews reported.

The suspect is described as a 25-40 year old white male with short brown hair. A reward of $5,000 is offered for his capture, WPLG reported.

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