A quick-thinking dog foiled the attempted kidnapping in broad daylight of a Chula Vista teenager.
Joanna Bojorquez was 16 years old when an unidentified white man aged between 25 and 35 years tried to abduct her. On that day, she was walking Willow, an Australian cattle dog. The dog belonged to the mobile home park manager of the young woman’s grandmother.
A black Camaro with tinted windows drove down the street, then turned around in a driveway and blocked her path. Everything happened in a flash—the man jumped out of the car, bear-hugged her, and threw her across the front seat of the vehicle.
In the scuffle, Joanna let go of Willow’s leash. The dog ran away, probably scared by the commotion. Joanna was kicking and yelling at the man, doing whatever she could to free herself from the situation. Willow, seeing that the girl and the man were fighting and not being friendly, came back and threw herself at him.
Distracted, the man moved away from the door and tried to fight off the dog. Joanna was able to crawl through the space under the seats and escape. Willow joined her, and they ran away to call 911.
Following the incident, Joanna says she didn’t want to sleep anymore, afraid of dreaming about her attempted kidnapping and experiencing it all over again. According to her, “It’s something that scarred me.” She’s even afraid to go out of the house.
Maricruz Peraza-Andrada, Joanna’s mother, is grateful that her daughter was able to get away. Like Joanna, she appreciates Willow’s heroic efforts, but she’s also scared because the man is still at large.
The would-be kidnapper remains unidentified. He raced away right after Joanna and Willow bolted. However, local police immediately started doing a composite sketch of his likeness.
Watch Joanna and Willow in the video below:
Source: ABC 10 News on YouTube
