Police arrested a kidnapping suspect and are still seeking a second after two unrelated kidnappings were reported in North Hills during March.
Police said that the two kidnappings are not related.
A suspect was arrested in connection to the March 27 kidnapping and he does not match the description of the still-outstanding suspect in the March 15 kidnapping, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
On March 15, a suspect tried to lure two girls into his car on the 8900 block of Lemona Avenue, asking the 11 and 16 year olds if they needed a ride. They said no initially, but accepted the ride when he approached them again near Nordhoff Street and Columbus Avenue later on, according to police.
While the girls were in the car, the man drove past the girls’ destination and locked the doors and parked, police said. He made lewd requests to the girls, who screamed and were able to get out of the car, according to police. The suspect got away. The suspect is described as a man in his early 20s, according to police.
On March 27, just before 10 a.m., there was a kidnapping at Sepulveda Boulevard and Parthenia Street.
“The victim and her mother had voluntarily entered the vehicle and went to get food. As the mother stepped out of the vehicle to go to the rear seat with her daughter, the suspect accelerated away with the victim still inside,” LAPD Captain Garrett Peyton said in a statement.
The victim was dropped off on Columbus Avenue, where she was found safe.
A suspect was found and arrested. His vehicle was impounded as evidence, police said. The investigation is still ongoing.
Police are encouraging women to be vigilant in the North Hills area, and remind the public to not approach or engage with unknown cars.
Since the first kidnapping was reported, Mission Area police have been getting reports of kidnapping attempts and women being approached by unknown cars.
“Ever since the March 15 incident I have been getting calls from women all the way from Long Beach, to Santa Clarita,” LAPD Detective Efren Gutierrez said.
Women have reported being approached by cars and asked for their phone numbers or have been subject to comments about their appearances, he said.
City News Service contributed to this report.