Saudi- Abducted girl rescued, perpetrator arrested

(MENAFN- Arab News) Jeddah police officers rescued a kidnapped 8-year-old girl on Tuesday and returned her to her family. Wajdan Al-Salamy was kidnapped by a Saudi man who stole her father's vehicle while she was still inside it on Monday at 5 p.m. The offender was arrested by police early Tuesday morning. Jeddah police spokesman, Lt. Nawaf Al-Bouq, said the offender tried to flee near the Al-Harazat district, east of Jeddah, early on Tuesday. "The perpetrator was arrested and the child was found after officers received information from someone who saw him driving the car down Al-Arbaeen Street in Al-Harazat neighborhood, near Al-Wattan gas station. He tried to escape but security patrols forced him to surrender." Some police vehicles were damaged in the chase. The 27-year-old perpetrator claimed he only wanted to steal the car and did not want to abduct the girl, said Al-Bouq. According to sources, Chief of Jeddah Police Maj. Abdullah Al-Qahtani acted immediately when he heard of the kidnapping. A special task force was set up to conduct the search operation including the director of security patrols, director of the criminal investigation division, and director of the parks police. Al-Bouq praised the media and the community for helping to spread the details of the abduction on the Internet.