Homeless woman attempts to kidnap 10-year-old girl in Ventura: police

A homeless woman was arrested Tuesday afternoon after allegedly trying to kidnap a 10-year-old girl who was playing near her home in Ventura, police said.

It happened around 4:21 p.m. on the 6400 block of Hummingbird Street, according to the Ventura Police Department.

Witnesses reported seeing the suspect, identified as 25-year-old Trinity Stewart, loitering in alleyways, peering into apartment windows and possibly stealing a package.

The child was playing with friends when she saw Stewart holding her sweatshirt. Stewart then chased the girl, caught her, and grabbed her, police said. The girl fought back, kicking her attacker several times but couldn’t break free.

The child’s mother heard the struggle and ran to help, getting into a physical altercation with the woman to free her daughter.

Stewart fled the area, but witnesses followed her and guided officers to the Post Office on Grand Avenue, where she was taken into custody.

Stewart, described as a vagrant, was arrested on suspicion of attempted kidnapping and child endangerment. She was booked into the Ventura County Jail.

“The victim was extremely frightened by the incident; however she was not physically injured,” the Police Department said in a news release.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is urged to contact the Ventura Police Department at 805-650-8010.