Police in Chicago have issued a community alert after a man attempted to kidnap a 5-year-old girl from the city’s Northwest Side.
The mother and child were walking in the neighborhood of Belmont-Cragin around 11:58 a.m. Thursday when an unknown man began following them, KTLA sister station WGN reports.
The man engaged in conversation with the mother and offered her an unknown amount of money in exchange for her daughter, police said.
After the woman refused, the man attempted to grab the girl by the hair and pull her towards him, video released by the Chicago Police Department shows.
The mother and daughter were able to get away safely, police said.
The suspect was described as being between 20 and 25 years old, standing about 5-foot-6 and weighing around 160 pounds. Police said he also had a thin beard and bright red hair. At the time of the incident, he was wearing a black hat, black t-shirt and red shorts.
Chicago police urge anyone with information about the offender or incident to call police at (312)-746-6554.