Man arrested after trying to kidnap a 7-year-old girl in Gwinnett County

NORCROSS, Ga. — There are new developments in the attempted kidnapping of a 7-year old girl. Police were looking for a man in Gwinnett County who is accused of trying to lure her into his van. That man is now in jail.

David Ruiz, 62, is behind bars after Gwinnett Police said he tried to kidnap a 7-year old girl from the Colonial Place Apartments in Norcross around 4:45 p.m. Friday while she was playing outside.

Channel 2′s Larry Spruill spoke with the family of the victim. The family didn’t want to be identified, but a friend of the family translated our conversation about what happened.

“The child, the victim, was out here playing with her friends. Apparently, a guy, out of nowhere, just came and started talking to her, pretending to be a vendor, a salesman. He pretended to be someone he wasn’t. He was actually trying to abduct the girl. Trying to take her away. He started to rub on her, touch her and trying to convince her to go with him. He had told the girl, I will come back for you tomorrow, and I have a present for you if you leave with me now,” said a friend of the family.

The little girl’s family said he was driving a Mercedes Sprinter van when he pulled in front of the victim’s home while the kids were playing outside. “This whole situation is just dangerous, especially for the children. Pedophiles are on the streets. They don’t feel secure at all in the community,” said a friend of the family.

The mother spoke about her daughter’s condition. “She’s all right right now because she’s playing with her cousins, but she doesn’t want to speak about what happened at all,” a friend of the family translated.

Ruiz is charged with one count of child molestation and one count of kidnapping. He’s being held without bond, pending more charges.

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