A routine midday walk in Anaheim turned terrifying on Wednesday when, according to police, a man jumped out of nearby bushes and tried to drag a mother and her 15-year-old daughter off a sidewalk near Lincoln Avenue and East Street. The pair fought him off, the mother quickly recorded him on her cellphone, and both immediately called 911. Officers tracked down and arrested a suspect within about two hours, city police said.
CBS Los Angeles reports that the suspect was identified as 59-year-old Jose Gudino. Investigators say he allegedly sprang from foliage along the street and tried to pull the mother and daughter away from the sidewalk. According to CBS, police booked him on charges that include kidnapping and attempted sexual assault after the victims provided a detailed description.
Video and facial recognition helped investigators
Security-camera footage near a bus stop and the mother’s cellphone video captured the confrontation and, police say, showed the man making sexually explicit threats in Spanish as he grabbed at the teen, according to NBC Los Angeles. The mother’s quick-thinking snapshot produced a clear photo that investigators ran through Anaheim PD’s Real Time Crime Center and facial-recognition tools, Sgt. Matthew Sutter told NBC. Officers then located and detained the suspect about two hours after the attack.
Arrest and charges
The encounter unfolded around noon near the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and East Street. FOX 11 Los Angeles reported that officers arrested the suspect without incident and booked him on felony counts that include kidnapping and attempted sexual assault. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case before deciding whether to file formal charges, according to the station.
Anaheim police credit fast, coordinated response
Anaheim police praised the coordinated work of patrol officers, detectives, and the Real Time Crime Center in taking what they called “a dangerous suspect from the community,” the department said in a statement to CBS Los Angeles. The Real Time Crime Center pulls together camera feeds, drone footage, and dispatch data, which police say helped speed up the identification and tracking of the suspect.
How the public can help
The mother and daughter told reporters they were especially grateful to a passing driver who stopped after hearing their calls for help, NBC Los Angeles noted. Anyone with additional video or information is asked to contact the Anaheim Police Department through its contact page or call 911 while the Orange County District Attorney’s Office continues its review of the case.
