PENSACOLA, Fla. — A 30-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the attempted abduction of an 11-year-old girl at a Florida bus stop.
Jared Stanga faces charges of attempted kidnapping, aggravated assault and battery.
Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said the incident, which was seen on surveillance video, occurred Tuesday morning while the girl was waiting at a bus stop near Pensacola.
The surveillance video shows a white Dodge Journey pull up and a man get out, grabbing the girl and trying to carry her into the vehicle. But the girl fought with the man, who was armed with a knife, scaring him and prompting him to drive away.
Simmons said investigators eventually tracked down the vehicle at a home. He said the vehicle had been freshly painted.
"We know you're an animal, and we also know you're under arrest," Simmons said.
The girl wasn't hurt.
Simmons called the girl a hero for fighting back.
"She fought and she fought and she fought and she never gave up," he said.