San Diego has been on edge after a chilling incident at the Mission Valley Mall on June 18, when a man attempted to kidnap a six-year-old girl right next to her mother. According to the San Diego Police Department (SDPD), the situation was defused as the child screamed, prompting the assailant to release her and run away.

The suspect described as a 40-something Hispanic male with collar-length black hair, a beard, and glasses was last seen wearing a "baby blue" shirt, gray pants, and white sneakers, evading capture by fleeing west through the mall, as previously reported by Hoodline San Diego. 

In a show of solidarity and concern, the SDPD has called for community support in gathering information that could lead to the arrest of the individual responsible, as the safety and well-being of San Diegans is a shared responsibility and of utmost importance to the Department. Anyone with knowledge of either incident is encouraged to contact the SDPS's Eastern Division at (858) 495-7900 or to report anonymously to Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. The mother's harrowing experience has surely shaken the tight-knit San Diego community, which stands united in determination to resolve these unsettling episodes.

Meanwhile, the SDPD, using their Automated License Plate Reader system, were able to track down 42-year-old Rene Lujan of San Diego related to the earlier attempted kidnapping after their system notified officers that a vehicle had passed under an LPR reader in Downtown San Diego, leading to his arrest on State Route 94 near Home Ave., as reported by the San Diego Police Department.

The SDPD's Eastern Division Detectives are actively investigating this case alongside another similar incident that occurred on the same premises just after 2 p.m. on June 18, which involved a child of five years old, as per the San Diego Police Department.