School Bus Driver: 'She Fought Him Off'

DENVER (CBS4)- A school bus driver helped protect a young girl from a would-be kidnapper.

It happened Friday morning near 37th and Josephine in Denver. The girl told police a man tried to grab her near Harrington Elementary School, where she goes to school.

"She was frightened, devastated," said school bus driver Carol Summers. "She had tears in her eyes, just jumped on the bus and grabbed me and said a man was trying to grab her."

The girl was able to get away and run into Summers, her bus driver. The girl then told Summers the man came up from behind her, said "Come here" and grabbed her arm.

She was able to fight him off and escape.

"She did real good. She fought him off, did what she was supposed to do. She screamed and hollered," said Summers.

Summer said she did what came naturally, "Motherly instincts just kicked in. I just wanted to grab her, let her know that everything was going to be okay."

Summers has been driving a school bus for Denver Public Schools for 20 years and has never seen anything like this.

"My worst fear came to life today," said Summers.

She hopes the incident serves as a reminder to students to be safe and stay alert," Just be careful."

There is only a vague description of the man who tried to grab the girl. The suspect is described as a black man in his 20s wearing a black hoodie, black pants and black shoes.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867). You can text to CRIMES (274637) then title DMCS and enter your message or send an e-mail to metro-denvercrimestoppers.com. If the information you provide leads to the arrest and charging of a wanted individual, you can receive a cash reward up to $2,000.