JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. -- A 9-year-old girl ran away from a would-be kidnapper Monday night, police said in a report.
Officers say a white man approached the girl in her driveway on West Grand Avenue in south Jefferson County and asked her to come with him after driving up to her in a bright red four-door sedan.
The girl, who knew stranger danger, ran away from the man and told her parents about the incident. They told police about the incident, leading to the filing of the report.
"She heard the door shut, she said the car was still running and she said the next thing she knew the guy was grabbing her and said, 'Come with me,'" the girl's mother, who asked for her identity to be concealed for safety purposes, told Denver7.
The mother says she is shaken from the scare, noting her daughter simply was playing in the driveway of her family's home.
"Luckily the guy wasn't still out here when we came out, I believe she scared him away, because she ran back inside as he tried to grab her," she said.
The girl's mother said she is lucky her daughter knew the values of stranger danger, but encouraged other parents to have the conversation with their children.
"It is something important that needs to be brought up around the dinner table a lot," she said. "Just constantly keep it in front of their minds on what to do in a situation like this."
Officers are now searching for the man, describing him as a thin, 6-feet-tall, having tanned skin and tattoos on both arms. On his left arm, the tattoo is near or above the elbow and depicts a red skull.
The man reportedly wore a green baseball cap with white letters, a red shirt, torn blue jeans and black shoes.
Anybody with information is asked to call police at (303) 271-5612.
"If he is still trying to do this to any other kid, I just hope they get him before he actually gets a kid," the girl's mother said.
---------
Sign up for Denver7 email alerts to stay informed about breaking news and daily headlines.