POMPANO BEACH, Fla. – Broward Sheriff’s Office detectives are investigating an attempted kidnapping that was caught on camera early on Sunday morning in Pompano Beach.
According to detectives, three juvenile females were walking home just before 1 a.m. from the 2700 block of Northeast Ninth Court when a man on a bicycle came up to them.
Authorities said that two of the girls immediately ran away. A third girl, aged 14, continued walking until she realized the man was following her.
“It’s a little unusual, I would say. Very unusual for this neighborhood, especially at one in the morning,” said Lili Ladrie, a neighbor.
After trying to run away from the man, the suspect blocked her path and attempted to grab her by her hoodie, authorities said.
Detectives said the man told her to get on his bike, however, the girl screamed and was able to run away.
The girls immediately alerted trusted adults after the incident and contacted law enforcement.
BSO detectives have released video of the two girls running away and the third trailing behind before calling police.
Surveillance video also captures the suspect on his bicycle but does not show the man’s face.
“It’s unusual that there would be some sort of predator on a bicycle at that time of the morning because the street is mostly vacant at that time,” said neighbor Tony Miniea.
The girls said the suspect is a black male, approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall, with a muscular build. He is bald or has very short hair with no facial hair. His bicycle is believed to be dark in color.
Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact BSO Special Victims Unit Detective Yanessa Ayra at 954-321-4200 or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.