Suspect arrested after attempted kidnapping in shopping center

A man suspected of attempting to kidnap a child at the Mission Valley Mall was arrested Thursday. A second attempted kidnapping was reported the same day, authorities said. (SkyFOX/KUSI In The Sky)

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A man suspected of attempting to kidnap a child in the area of ​​the Mission Valley Shopping Center was arrested Thursday, the same day a second attempt was reported, authorities said.

Rene Lujan was arrested on suspicion of attempted kidnapping Tuesday, Lt. Daniel Meyer of the San Diego Police Department said during a news conference Thursday.

The first attempt occurred around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday near Buffalo Wild Wings in Mission Valley when a woman was walking next to her daughter, who was pushing her younger sibling in a stroller, and a man began chasing the family, police said. The man then grabbed the 6-year-old and tried to walk away with the girl, police said. The victim was heard screaming and crying, at which point the suspect released the girl and fled west through the mall and into a car, police said.

Police were able to obtain a description of the suspect vehicle: It was a black 2013 Chevy Volt with the license plate number “7VBS762.” With that information, authorities received an alert from their license plate recognition system on Thursday and conducted a stop on State Route 94 eastbound to arrest the suspect.

On Thursday, another attempted kidnapping occurred near the inflatable playground in the parking lot of the Mission Valley shopping center. A man described as about 5’10” tall and weighing about 150 pounds, with a beard and glasses, attempted to carry a five-year-old girl away and put her in a car, according to police. He was last seen wearing an orange and white shirt and tan shorts.

According to police, the suspect’s description is similar to that of Tuesday’s incident. Meyer did not confirm whether the two attempted kidnappings were related.

“This is pretty rare, especially considering that cases like this happen twice in the same place, possibly by the same suspect or by someone who looks exactly like the previous suspect,” Meyer said.

Anyone with information about any of the cases is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.