On the morning of Friday, July 13, a 12-year old New Britain girl was nearly kidnapped in her neighborhood.
The girl, Kylie, told NBC Connecticut she’s relieved police caught the man who allegedly tried to abduct her.
“Scared. I can’t really describe how I felt that day,” said Kylie.
On Thursday, police arrested a suspect -- Oscar Diaz, 67, of New Britain.
Diaz is being held on $200,000 bond and has been charged with attempted kidnapping and breach of peace.
He is due in court on Friday and police believe he might be involved in other similar instances.
Police said Diaz was driving in New Britain on July 13th, when he tried to lure Kyle into his minivan.
“I was walking by myself, and he was in his minivan…he drove by me and he told me that he had a movie for me,” said Kylie.
Police said the girl identified the suspect and has provided officers with valuable information throughout the investigation.
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The arrest comes weeks after police released a surveillance picture of the minivan from one of six surveillance cameras mounted on the outside of a nearby home.
When police released the video, they said the girl did exactly what she was supposed to do. You can watch it here.
She told police a man in a minivan approached her while she walked along Highland Terrace to catch a bus to her summer camp around 8 a.m. on that Friday morning.
Police increased patrols in the area and had been looking for the man since.
Investigators said the girl ran away when the man approached her and she reported what happened immediately.
New Britain police confiscated Diaz’s minivan as evidence in the case, and said he confessed.
“Through further investigation, we were able to find out that Mr. Oscar Diaz was definitely involved in the incident on July 13th,” said Sgt. Jeanette Saccente, with the New Britain Police Dept.
Despite news of the suspect’s arrest, Kylie and her family said they’re still on edge.
“I’m not a fan of staying alone, and I’m definitely not walking anywhere alone again,” said Kylie.
“For the last three four weeks, every van that goes by, we’re looking at it. We’re asking our daughter, ‘Is that him? Is that him? Is that him?’” said Kylie’s father, Jim.
Police ask anyone with information to report it to authorities.
