Escambia Co Sheriff Chip Simmons started his press conference by saying, "We are here to announce that we have caught the animal that tried to kidnap an 11 year old girl this morning."
The attempted abduction in Escambia County Tuesday morning was captured on a home surveillance video. A man, reportedly with a knife, grabbed the girl at a bus stop. He was trying to get her into a white van, but she fought him off and ran.
Investigative efforts led to an address on Betty Rd, where they found the van and the suspect. 30-year-old Jared Paul Stenga of Pensacola faces charges of attempted kidnapping of a child under 13, aggravated assault and battery.
Sheriff Simmons also said the girl had been playing with blue slime when the attacker surprised her. When they caught the suspect, he had blue slime all over his arms.
Turns out, that wasn't an accident. Alyssa tells NBC's Kerry Sanders she slimed her attacker on purpose, hoping it would provide better evidence if her attacker was caught.... something she learned from watching Law & Order: SVU with her mom.
And he was wearing the same clothes from the video and numerous surveillance photos. The sheriff says Stenga has an extensive criminal history.
(Photo: Escambia County Sheriffs Office)