Parents turn in son accused of grabbing 10-year-old outside school, Colorado cops say

A 28-year-old man accused of grabbing a 10-year-old girl outside a Thornton school was identified to police by his parents, Colorado cops reported.

The attempted abduction happened at 7:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 23, at the STEM Launch K-8 school, Thornton police said in a news release.

The 10-year-old girl told police she was waiting outside the school after being dropped off by her mom when a man approached her asking if she attended school there, KDVR reported.

She tried to walk away from the man, but he grabbed her and put a hand over her mouth, the station said. The girl fought back and ripped off his face mask, causing him to flee.

Thornton police released numerous security photos of the hooded suspect and his vehicle parked near the school.

The man’s parents identified him to police from the photos, police told McClatchy News.

Officers arrested him on a charge of attempted kidnapping on Monday, Sept. 26, a police news release said.

Police ask that anyone with information call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.

Thornton is a city of 141,000 just north of Denver.

This story was originally published September 28, 2022 at 12:45 PM with the headline "Parents turn in son accused of grabbing 10-year-old outside school, Colorado cops say."