Residents Wary After Kidnapping Attempt

HUNTINGTON BEACH — An attempted kidnapping in a supermarket parking lot left anxious residents clutching their children a little tighter Tuesday, while police continued searching for the suspects.

Investigators spent the day interviewing witnesses and putting together composite sketches of a couple who tried to snatch a 6-month-old baby from her mother Monday evening, Police Lt. Dan Johnson said.

The 26-year-old woman wrestled the child from the abductors, and both mother and daughter escaped unharmed, but news of the attempted kidnapping spread through the neighborhood and prompted some parents to call the police.

“They wanted to know what’s going on and what they could do to prevent this from happening,” Johnson said. “If anything can come out of this, it’s that we need to pay more attention to our surroundings . . . and act upon it.”

At the Lucky market where the incident occurred, patrons were left startled and cautious.

Darlene Harman, a 24-year-old mother of a 7-month-old boy, said she was “very disturbed” by the kidnapping attempt.

“I don’t know how you can get any safer than here,” said Harman, who lives close by. “The police station is right there and everyone knows everyone here. There’s even a security guard.”

The woman who fended off the assailants, whose name was withheld, was shopping with her baby about 6 p.m. Monday when she noticed she was being followed by a woman she didn’t know, police said. After she went through the cashier’s line, the stranger continued following her as she exited the store.

In the parking lot, a man approached the mother and distracted her while the woman snatched the baby from the shopping cart, police said.

The mother chased the abductor and got her baby back after a struggle. She went home and called police about 20 minutes after the incident. The two abductors were gone by the time police arrived at the store near Golden West Street and Yorktown Avenue, Johnson said.

Investigators advise parents who are approached by a suspicious-looking person to contact authorities immediately.

“It’s understandable why [the mother delayed as] she did, given the situation. She was very distressed,” Johnson said. “But the longer you wait, the less chance we have of solving the case.”

Some Lucky customers said they felt uneasy Tuesday because of the attempted kidnapping, but they refused to let it deter them from doing daily chores.

Holly Berg, 30, took an extra precaution and propped her son on a shopping cart and kept an eye on him at all times.

“I don’t walk very far from [the shopping cart],” said Berg, who lives nearby. “You want to be cautious but you don’t want to be afraid everywhere you go.”

Sally McGinn, who was shopping with her granddaughter, said she usually lets the girl walk alongside the cart, but since the attempted kidnapping, she is putting the child inside.

McGinn, 68, said she has always kept a close eye on her 4-year-old granddaughter, Berlin Miranda, but “it’s even closer now.”

Police hope to release composite drawings of the suspects today.

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Child Protection

Parents can reduce the chances of victimization by practicing and teaching children some safety rules:

TEACH CHILDREN TO:

* Never go anywhere with anyone without parental permission

* Seek out “good” strangers, like police officers and teachers, if in trouble

* Let parent or teacher know if stranger approaches them or other children

* Walk and play with other children or trusted adults

PARENTS SHOULD:

* Be wary of strangers in stores or crowded areas

* Lock child safely in car seat first, then put away shopping bags

* Never allow strangers to watch over child, even for a moment

* Keep doors in car and house locked

* Adopt a family code word; instruct child never to go with an adult who doesn’t know the word

Source: Orange County Child Protective Services; Researched by APRIL JACKSON / Los Angeles Times