Pueblo Police Investigate Possible Kidnapping

Pueblo Police are searching for a would-be sexual predator, after a report of an attempted kidnapping Wednesday.

According to the 16-year-old victim, it all started with a flat tire repair on the city’s north side.

Pueblo police captain Eric Bravo details the crime in a press release put out Wednesday night.

“On February 22, 2012 at about 5:30 PM a 16 year-old girl and her parents walked into the Pueblo police department?s lobby and reported a Kidnapping.

According to the girl, she was stranded at 13th and Elizabeth with a flat tire. She told officers that a man stopped and helped her change her tire and left. Shortly after, another man stopped and offered to take her to a tire repair shop. After putting the tire in the man?s vehicle, she reluctantly got in.

She said the man drove to 29th Street passing a tire store near I-25. When she asked the man why he didn?t stop, he told her she was going to have to show him something, and started tugging on her clothes. She said the man continued driving onto I-25 southbound. When the man slowed and exited at Highway 50 Bypass she jumped out of the vehicle. The man continued eastbound. She said she was picked up by the first man who had originally stopped and helped her.

The man told officers that after changing the tire, he went to get something to eat. When he was returning to his office he noticed the girl?s car still parked in the lot. He thought she must have locked her keys in the car and left on foot.

The man told officers that he drove around and spotted the girl near I-25. He picked her up and after learning what happened he immediately brought her to the police department.

The girl described the suspect as being a Hispanic man in his thirties about 5? 08? with a bigger build and a round face. He was wearing a flat brimmed red hat and a white t-shirt. He had multiple tattoos along his entire right arm and a small tattoo on the right side of his face near his eye. The girl said the man mentioned something about living in Rocky Ford.

The girl described the suspect?s car as being a smaller two door with a black or primer black faded paint job and a Centennial Bulldog sticker in the driver?s side rear window.

The girl was not injured in the incident. Police are still looking for the suspect and ask that anyone seeing the man or vehicle to call 911.”

NewsChannel 13 viewers can also call Pueblo Crimestoppers if they wish to remain anonymous. They can be reached at 542-STOP