Woman tried to snatch child in Westlake
A 27-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly attempting to kidnap a 4-year-old child from a store in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles.
The incident occurred at about 12:40 p.m. on Feb. 25 at a store at 620 S. Virgil Ave., just north of Wilshire Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Vanessa Yara Pineda of Los Angeles is accused of forcefully grabbing the child from behind and dragging him outside the store. She allegedly put the child down when confronted by his parent and fled on foot.
Police said Pineda was taken into custody on Feb. 28 in the area of Magnolia Boulevard and Tujunga Avenue and that an investigation remains ongoing. Pineda has been booked on suspicion of kidnapping and is being held on $1.2 million bail.
Anyone with information regarding the alleged crime was asked to contact LAPD Detective S. Soto at (213) 382-9437. Tipsters can also call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.
