DETROIT – Detroit police said officers have arrested a 17-year-old boy suspected of trying to abduct a 5-year-old girl from her own backyard on Sunday afternoon.
Police said Fernando San-Miguel is in custody and charged with kidnapping (child endangerment). Police had released surveillance video that shows the person wanted in connection to the attempted abduction in the 1100 block of Wheelock Street near Lafayette Boulevard.
San-Miguel was arraigned Thursday in 36th District Court. A probable cause conference is scheduled for March 12, and a preliminary examination is scheduled for March 19.
He is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail.
11-year-old sister scares away kidnaper
The girl was outside playing with her older sister, who is 11 years old, about 3:20 p.m. The surveillance video from a nearby business shows the man walking across the street and toward the girls.
Police said the 11-year-old had briefly left her sister in the backyard to go retrieve a ball from the front yard. Investigators believe San-Miguel ran past the 11-year-old and into the backyard where he grabbed the 5-year-old girl. The 5-year-old was picked up, placed over a back fence and into the neighbor's yard. The suspect also jumped over the fence.
The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office said the 11-year-old heard the suspect call to her 5-year-old sister. The 11-year-old yelled at the suspect, who then placed the 5-year-old girl back into her yard. He ran away on foot.
Detroit police investigated, released the video and then executed an arrest.
San-Miguel is scheduled to be arraigned on the kidnapping charge Wednesday afternoon.
Here's the surveillance video: