Police: Neighbor chased kidnapper, saved girl

Police: NM kidnapper thwarted by alert neighbor

JERI CLAUSING, Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Police say a suspected kidnapper was thwarted by a man who witnessed a 6-year-old girl being pushed into a van and then quickly alerted authorities.

Albuquerque police officer Robert Gibbs tells KRQE that suspect Phil Garcia tried to coax the girl into a green van late Monday afternoon before pushing her into the vehicle.

Gibbs says an alert neighbor, who was not identified, got into his own car and began following the van while also calling 911.

According to Gibbs, Garcia notice he was being followed and tried lose the car but instead crashed about a mile and a half from where the girl was taken.

The neighbor was able to safely pull the girl from the van. Gibbs says police arrived moments later and arrested Garcia.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.