San Diego police have confirmed the arrest of a man accused of attempting to kidnap a six-year-old girl at Mission Valley shopping mall last Tuesday. The detained man, identified as 42-year-old Rene Lujan and a resident of San Diego, was apprehended after the department's automated license plate reader system proved pivotal in locating his vehicle connected to the attempted abduction.

The incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. on June 18, as a mother walked with her daughter, who was pushing her younger brother in a stroller on the east side of the mall. A man approached the family, began following them, and at one point, grabbed the six-year-old girl and lifted her off the ground. The individual walked a few meters in the opposite direction with the girl in his arms until she began screaming, prompting the suspect to release her.

The suspect, now identified as Lujan, fled on foot westward through the mall. The SDPD Eastern Division responded immediately, gathering a description and the suspect's vehicle license plate during their investigation.

The license plate was entered into the department's license plate reader (LPR) database. Thursday afternoon, the LPR system alerted officers that the vehicle had passed under a reader in downtown San Diego, leading to immediate efforts to locate and apprehend the car in that area. Lujan and his vehicle were eventually located and stopped on State Route 94 near Home Avenue.

A second attempted abduction of a five-year-old girl under very similar circumstances and suspect description also occurred at Mission Valley Mall shortly after 2 p.m. on Thursday. SDPD is actively investigating whether it is linked to the first incident.