Residents in Panorama City are on high alert after a second attempt in a week to abduct a teenager near a local shopping center. On Tuesday night, a 14-year-old girl narrowly escaped an attempted kidnapping near the intersection of Cedros Avenue and Chase Street, just blocks away from the Panorama Mall. According to NBC Los Angeles, the girl's father intervened as a man tried to take his daughter while she walked on the sidewalk. The suspect fled the scene in an SUV.
Following the incident, the Los Angeles Police Department responded to the scene around 9:30 p.m. As reported by FOX LA, officials have yet to provide a detailed description of the man or the vehicle, other than it being a black SUV, possibly a Kia. The quick actions of the girl's father, who was nearby, managed to thwart the attempt, and the girl did not suffer any injuries.
Just days before this incident, another teenage girl was targeted in the same area. Detectives from LAPD's Mission Division are looking into the connection between this case and the attempted kidnapping of another teenage girl on April 9, less than a mile away, as KTLA notes. The suspect in the earlier case, identified as Varush Manoukyan, approached females using his vehicle to lure them, asking for assistance with directions.
According to authorities, Manoukyan was arrested and charged but subsequently released on bond. "The girl was able to get out of Manoukyan's car and call police," the LAPD said, as told by FOX LA. Manoukyan, who was released just an hour after the latest kidnapping attempt, pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to commit a sexual felony against a minor. Police have encouraged other potential victims to come forward.
The community and law enforcement continue to seek information related to these incidents. Individuals with any relevant details are urged to contact the LAPD Mission Division detectives at 818-838-9800. For those wishing to remain anonymous, calls can be made to the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-222-8477.
