Man follows 16-year-old off bus and tries to kidnap her, WA cops say. She fights back
A man followed a 16-year-old girl off a public bus and tried to kidnap her, but she fought back, Washington police said.
Authorities responded after 4 p.m. on Friday, March 28, to the Lake Hills QFC grocery store, the Bellevue Police Department said in a news release.
The stranger grabbed the girl shortly after she got off at a bus stop, police told McClatchy News by email.
She started fighting him and got the attention of bystanders, who then helped her and called authorities, police said.
“Her immediate actions may have saved her life,” police said in the email.
The man fled the area and authorities searched for him with police dogs.
He was seen boarding a bus three days later and reported to police, authorities said. Investigators said they followed the bus until he exited and arrested him.
The investigation is ongoing.
Bellevue is about a 10-mile drive east from Seattle.
This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 6:05 PM with the headline "Man follows 16-year-old off bus and tries to kidnap her, WA cops say. She fights back."
