KTLA

Alleged kidnapping attempt in Murrieta not as it appears, investigators say

A man seen standing in front of Murrieta home before apparently charging at a ten-year-old girl. May 21, 2023. (Michael Angodung)

Home security video showed a male running up a driveway toward a 10-year-old Murrieta girl in what appeared to be an attempted kidnapping earlier this week. But investigators now say that was not the case.

The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. on May 21 in the 38000 block of Camarada Lane.

Michael Angodung says he was playing volleyball with his daughter in their front yard and went inside to get a drink.

During that brief moment, video shows a male in a blue cap and flip-flops walks up to the home, starts talking to the girl, and then appears to charge at her.

“Then she rushes all the way inside the garage, saying, ‘Dad, dad, there’s a guy trying to kidnap me!” Angodung told KTLA on Thursday.

The male then walks away, the video shows.

A male is seen walking down the sidewalk in a Murrieta neighborhood before apparently charging at Michael Angodung’s 10-year-old daughter. May 21, 2023. (Michael Angodung)

Angodung reported the incident to the authorities who canvassed the neighborhood on Thursday to try to locate the suspect.

On Friday, however, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said the male in the video is a 16-year-old with special needs who was not a threat.

“Follow-up investigation determined the male did not attempt to kidnap or harm the child,” a spokesperson said.