Police: Man arrested after attempted kidnapping at Liberty Park


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SALT LAKE CITY — A man was arrested Thursday night after police said he ran up to a 5-year-old girl and appeared to try and grab her at Liberty Park, police said.

Steven Ray Montoya, 36, was arrested on suspicion of attempted child kidnapping, Salt Lake police detective Richard Chipping said. He was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail.

Salt Lake police responded to a call of an attempted kidnapping near the playground at the north side of the park just before 10:15 p.m., Chipping said.

Chipping said Montoya approached adults at the park and asked about the girl before he ran toward her.

"He walked away and then came back and was asking them a question about the girl and then at that point he began to run toward this girl and had his hands out, running in a way they thought he was going to take this girl," Chipping said.

Family members, however, caught Montoya before he reached the girl and held him before police arrived.

Police did not know much about Montoya, but Chipping said the man may have been intoxicated at the time and may be homeless.

Contributing: Nick Wyatt

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Carter Williams is an award-winning reporter who covers general news, outdoors, history and sports for KSL.com.

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