A 28-year-old Los Angeles man was being held without bail Wednesday in the .
Police said they arrested Jefferdick Joseph Vega, a parolee, after receiving a report of a suspicious man knocking on doors to homes on Ocean Park Boulevard. The man was driving a minivan matching the description of the one used in Sunday's attempted kidnapping, according to the
In that incident, a 17-year-old girl reported that a Hispanic man in his 30s with a "bushy" handlebar type mustache/goatee suddenly grabbed her and tried to pull her into his van in the 2900 block of Pico Boulevard.
Police detained Vega on Tuesday afternoon after responding to a report of a suspicious man knocking on doors in the 800 block of Ocean Park. While checking the area, officers spotted an older modle Toyota Previa minivan that matched the description of the vehicle in Sunday's attempted kidnapping.
"Officers determined that the vehicle was stolen and a traffic stop was conducted in the 800 block of Maple Street. The driver was detained and during the subsequent investigation, he was identified as the suspect in the attempted kidnapping," said police Sgt. Richard Lewis in a press release.
Vega was arrested and booked into the Santa Monica Jail on suspicion of kidnapping, vehicle theft and parole violation. He is not eligible for bail.
The Santa Monica Police Department is asking anyone else who may have been victimized by Vega, or who has additional information, to contact Detective Chad Goodwin at (310) 458-8942 or Sgt. Ira Rutan at (310) 458-8959 or the Santa Monica Police Department (24/7) at (310) 458-8495.
