Suspect arrested after video shows attempted kidnapping of girl walking to school in Glendale, Ariz.

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Frightening video shows a man jumping out of his car and apparently trying to kidnap an 11-year-old girl as she walked to school in Glendale, Ariz.

Glendale police say the girl was able to escape. Officers responded quickly and were able to identify and arrest a suspect in the area a short time later.

The video from the morning of Jan. 26 shows the man make a quick U-turn on the residential street and pull up just as the girl is walking by on the sidewalk. As she passes by on the driver’s side, he quickly gets out and tries to grab her, but she runs off.

He chases her a short distance, but then returns to his car and drives off. In another video, the girl can be heard shouting “No!” as she escapes.

Officers were able to quickly obtain video of the incident and get a description of the suspect and his vehicle. They found the suspect still wearing the same clothing in the area a short time later.

Officers arrested Joseph Leroy Ruiz, 37, a resident of that area, for attempted kidnapping. It is not believed that he knew the victim.

“Glendale Police want to commend the bravery of this young victim,” the department said in a written statement. “She did exactly what she needed to do to avoid this situation from becoming much worse.”