FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – A Visalia man is behind bars for trying to kidnap a 4-year-old girl.
The Tulare County Sheriff Office says it happened at 2:40 Tuesday afternoon in Goshen by Cottontail and Lickey Court.
A man told deputies that an unknown man had assaulted him while getting out of his car and ran away.
Deputies immediately began checking the area and caught up with 24-year-old Derrek Porter of Visalia after he tried to run away.
Investigators discovered that Porter had confronted the victim as he arrived home with his 4-year-old daughter.
The suspect, who has no relation and is completely unknown to the victims, said the 4-year-old was not the victim’s daughter.
A short time later, both men became involved in a fight directly in front of the victim’s home.
At some point the 4-year-old got out the car and the suspect managed to grab her.
Porter was then confronted by the victims’ family, who were able to get the child back before Porter ran off.
Detectives from the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department Investigation Bureau and Forensic Investigation Unit responded to scene and took over the investigation.
Porter was booked at the Adult Pre-Trial Facility for attempted kidnapping.
This case remains active and is currently under investigation. Anyone with information about this crime call Detective Armstrong with the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office at (559) 733-6218.
They can remain anonymous by calling or texting (559)725-4194 or email [email protected].
Click to her the report by KMJ’S Liz Kern:
