Seven-Year-Old Girl Escapes Kidnapper in Grand Terrace: (Eerie similarity to Van Dam Case)

abc7.com Los Angeles ^ | March 5, 2002 | abc7.com

[FresnoDA]

Seven-Year-Old Girl Escapes Kidnapper in Grand Terrace Eerie similarity to Van Dam Case

			GRAND TERRACE — 03/05/02-San Bernardino County sheriff's officials say a seven-year-old girl kidnapped from her bedroom early this morning escaped by jumping from her abductor's car when he stopped to look for his lost wallet. Sheriff's spokesman Chip Patterson says police found a wallet in front of the girl's Grand Terrace home and waited for the suspect at the address on his driver's license.

Dennis Martin Castro was taken into custody after three hours after the 3:30 am abduction. Patterson says the girl "is unharmed, aside from being frightened." The kidnapping occurred a little more than a month after another seven-year-old girl, Danielle van Dam, was reported missing from her San Diego bedroom. Her body was found last week and a neighbor has been charged with her murder. Copyright © 2002 KABC-TV and the Associated Press. All rights reserved.

[counterrevolutionary]

BTW, I worry about my only child and he is 34 years old!

Mom?

[blam]

"Mom?"

Click on my name and see my profile.

[SuziQ]

Sheriff's spokesman Chip Patterson says police found a wallet in front of the girl's Grand Terrace home and waited for the suspect at the address on his driver's license.

DOH! Can you say, STOOPID!!?

[FresnoDA]

If you have ever seen Die Hard, with Bruce Willis? Remember the reporter who goes to the housekeeper, and worms an interview. Those are LA reporters. Same thing on this case, the reporters mugged the family as they were walking out of thier door. Like sharks.....

[BenR2]

Wow! Used to drive through Grand Terrace not infrequently when I was stationed in SoCal about 10 years ago.

Always seemed like a nice, quiet place where one would feel safe to live.

[msvicki]

Mailed my $30 Saturday, Come on Georgia, do your part! msvicki

[Jen]

I'm from Georgia too - Fayetteville, south of Atlanta! Where are you?

Thanks for supporting FR!!!

[inflorida]

I don't even have kids yet but I know that when I do there is a good chance I will drive them crazy because I will be so protective (at least according to my husband).
Oh well...better to be safe then sorry.

[cgk]

LOL! Sorry, I never use that phrase. But that's exactly what I did when I read your post.

Aside, I agree with summer that this is one SMART LUCKY little girl! Was the guy a neighbor of hers? Scary stuff.

Mrs Kus

[counterrevolutionary]

Not mother?

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Yikes!! So how the heck did he get into her bedroom?? Is this a copycat? How far away from San Diego?

[msvicki]

I live in beautiful Peachtree City. A livid writer in the local paper, in answer to my letter to editor, said "Peachtree City must be a dangerous place", if I live here. I used to live in California!!

[Squantos]

One more reason to let kids have a Dog......... small nervous little barker is worth it's weight in gold if backed up by a twelve gauge. I guess in kali you'd have to have a Rottweiller to compensate for the lack of firearms in most cases.........

I'd like to know if this guys DNA was found on the murdered kid..... Did they check or is this just one more perv removed from the food chain ?

Stay Safe !

[Jen]

Hello neighbor! You have FReepmail.

[Catspaw]

So how the heck did he get into her bedroom??

The guy that murdered my neighbor's kindergartener stole a folding chair from the nextdoor neighbor's garage, slit the screen on her bedroom window with a box cutter & climbed right in.

[Yup!!]

I have one and she is seven. She will be eight at the end of this month. I am moving her bed in my room. She will be allowed out when she is 35!

[mommya]

Wow, that's one lucky little girl. Thank heavens.

It doesn't say where the guy lived - just that they waited for him ouside his house. I wonder if he lives nearer Poway? I sure hope the cops are trying to rule in or out a connection between the two cases.

[Cindy]

A blessing from God....Thank you Lord for keeping this little girl safe. Thank you Lord for giving her the gift of quick wit and common sense even though she was frightened! Amen.

[Catspaw]

One more reason to let kids have a Dog......... small nervous little barker is worth it's weight in gold if backed up by a twelve gauge.

A Lhasa Apso is good nervous little barker. Don't even think about coming near the house or coming near the yard without him going into a barkin' frenzy. The golden we had as kids would probably invite the guy in & show him where all the valuables were as long as he got petted.

[rolling_stone]

about 75 miles.......