KUALA LUMPUR: Quick thinking by a nine-year-old girl saved her from a would-be kidnapper near her home in Bukit Beruntung near here last Friday.

The incident reportedly occurred while the girl was waiting for a school van on the ground floor of her apartment block.

Hulu Selangor district police deputy chief DSP Mohd Asri Mohd Yunus said they received a report about the attempted kidnapping from the girl’s mother at 8.56 pm on the same day.

“Investigations revealed that the suspect, a local woman, tried to abduct the child but failed when the girl ran to a nearby shop, shouting for help.

“Members of the public at the scene rescued the child, but the suspect managed to flee when they tried to apprehend her,“ he said in a statement today.

He said police have opened an investigation paper under Sections 363 and 511 of the Penal Code.

Ahmad Faizal said there were no CCTV recordings at the location and the suspect’s identity has yet to be established.

However, he said the suspect is believed to have acted alone.

He also advised parents to be more vigilant about their children’s whereabouts and not leave them unattended.

Police urge anyone with information regarding the incident to contact the Hulu Selangor district police headquarters at 03-60641223.