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SALT LAKE CITY — Police on Tuesday arrested a man accused of trying to kidnap a 12-year-old girl as she walked to school in Salt Lake City.
About 9:30 a.m, a man was driving a dark-colored GMC truck when he approached a female student who was walking to Liberty Elementary School, Salt Lake police said in a news release. Police said the man offered the girl money and asked if she needed a ride from their location near Herbert Avenue and Roberta Street.
"(The girl) said the man drove up to her again, held out a $100 bill and told her that she could have the money if she got into the car with him," according to a police booking affidavit.
The girl said "no" and started to walk away, and police said he then drove his truck in the direction of the girl, "to prevent the girl from leaving the area."
The girl ran away and reported the incident once she got to school. The man drove away, police said.
Salt Lake police collected surveillance video from the area and watched "the suspect vehicle pulling up in front of (the girl)., and (she) is seen running around the truck, toward the elementary school. The suspect vehicle does a U-turn and leaves the area," the affidavit states.
Using the video footage, detectives were able to get a license plate number and identify a possible suspect.
Officers sent a description of the truck out to police throughout the city and the vehicle was spotted near 550 W. 200 South. When questioned, Jose Arquimides Manzanarez Munoz, 53, claimed he was following the girl because she looked "distraught" and asked her if she was OK, the affidavit states.
"Munoz denied offering her money or a ride," according to the affidavit, but police noted that "a $100 bill was found in Munoz's wallet." Munoz couldn't explain how the girl knew he had a $100 bill in his wallet. After being questioned, he was arrested and booked him into Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of attempted child kidnapping.
Liberty Elementary School Principal Julia Barrientos sent an email out to parents Tuesday evening notifying them of the attempted kidnapping near the school. She said the school did not notify parents earlier Tuesday, as police asked school officials not to share details about the incident "until they had gathered more information."
Barrientos said she is grateful for the quick response from police. "We were fortunate that school surveillance footage captured helpful images and was of help to the police in their investigation," she said.
Barrientos said the school will discuss safety in age-appropriate ways with the students and that the school will do everything it can to help keep students safe.
Contributing: Pat Reavy
