A 14-year-old Aurora girl was lauded by police Monday after she helped officers catch a man who allegedly accosted her and tried to pull her into his car.
The girl, a student at North Middle School, was walking to school about 7:20 a.m. when she was approached by a man in a green Pontiac Bonneville near East Colfax Avenue and Nome Street.
He asked whether she needed a ride, then grabbed her by the arm, police said.
The girl was able to get away and ran to school, but she managed to memorize the suspect’s license plate number, which helped police find him, police spokesman Marcus Dudley said.
Based on the information she provided, police arrested Julio Ramirez-Vazquez, 22, at a residence near East 11th Avenue and Scranton Street, Dudley said.
The girl was not physically harmed, Dudley said, but she was traumatized by the incident.
“Psychologically, she’s been tremendously impacted,” he said. “With the courage that she exhibited, she should be commended.”
Ramirez-Vazquez was being held in the Aurora detention facility on suspicion of second-degree attempted kidnapping.
