Man arrested after attempting to kidnap 12-year-old girl in Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY — A 53-year-old man has been arrested after police say he attempted to kidnap a 12-year-old girl as she was walking to school in Salt Lake City.

It happened near Herbert Avenue and Roberta Street at approximately 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

According to a press release from the Salt Lake City Police Department, a dark-colored GMC truck pulled up next to the girl as she was walking to Liberty Elementary School. The driver, identified as Jose Arquimides Manzanarez Munoz, offered her money and asked if she needed a ride.

“The girl said ‘No’ and started to walk away. As she did, Arquimides Manzanarez Munoz is accused of driving his truck in the direction of the girl – to prevent the girl from leaving the area,” the release stated.

Police said the girl ran away and reported the incident “to a trusted person at her school.”

After a description of the truck and driver was sent out, the vehicle was spotted near 550 West and 200 South. Arquimides Manzanarez Munoz was then taken into custody.

Police said he will be booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on one count of attempted child kidnapping.

Following the incident, the SLCPD released some safety tips that parents can share with their children:

• Never talk to strangers – If a stranger approaches a child or teen, teach them to say “No!” and to run to a safe place to report the incident.
• Use the buddy system – Encourage children and teens to be with a friend or family member when outside.
• Be aware of your surroundings – Tell children and teens to be aware of their surroundings. Encourage them not to become distracted by personal devices and headphones/earbuds that may prevent them from seeing or hearing someone approach them.
• Trust your instincts – Remind children and teens that it is okay for them to trust their instincts. If they ever find themselves in an uncomfortable situation, they should report it to a trusted adult immediately.

A letter was also sent out to parents of the school Tuesday night:

Dear Liberty families and community,

I am writing to let you know that earlier today, there was an attempted kidnapping near our school. One of our students, who arrived late to school and was walking alone, was followed by a man in a truck. When the student realized she was being followed, she made it quickly into our school, where she let us know what had happened. We’re grateful for the quick response from the Salt Lake City Police Department, who arrested the suspect earlier this afternoon. We were fortunate that school surveillance footage captured helpful images and was of help to the police in their investigation.

I want to also let you know why you didn’t hear from me about this incident earlier today: this is an ongoing investigation, and we were instructed by law enforcement officers to not share information until they had gathered more information. The Salt Lake City Police Department sent out a press release this evening, and we are now able to share with you what happened today.

I want to echo the advice given by the police, encouraging parents to talk with their children about safety planning, including:

• Never talk to strangers – If a stranger approaches a child or teen, teach them to say “No!” and to run to a safe place to report the incident.
• Use the buddy system – Encourage children and teens to be with a friend or family member when outside.
• Be aware of your surroundings – Tell children and teens to be aware of their surroundings. Encourage them not to become distracted by personal devices and headphones/earbuds that may prevent them from seeing or hearing someone approach them.
• Trust your instincts – Remind children and teens that it is okay for them to trust their instincts. If they ever find themselves in an uncomfortable situation, they should report it to a trusted adult immediately.

We will echo those conversations here at school in age-appropriate ways and will continue to do everything in our power to help keep our students safe. Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Julia Barrientos  
Principal 
Liberty Elementary School