Man Posing as Officer Kidnaps, Molests Girl, 9

A man posing as a police officer kidnaped a 9-year-old Van Nuys girl Sunday, handcuffing her and taking her into the mountains where he sexually molested her, authorities said.

The kidnaping took place about 10:40 a.m. near Victory Boulevard and Vesper Avenue, Los Angeles Police Detective Craig Rhudy said. The girl was walking home from a convenience store when a man who said he was a police officer approached her on foot and took her to his car.

The girl told detectives that she saw a blue steel revolver or automatic gun in the car, Rhudy said. Once inside the vehicle, the man handcuffed the girl and threw her down on the front seat. The kidnaper then drove into the mountains north of the San Fernando Valley and molested her.

The man dropped the youngster off in an industrial area near San Fernando Park, Rhudy said. A park visitor noticed the girl crying and contacted police.

Rhudy described the kidnaper as a thin Caucasian male, about 6 feet 2 inches tall, in his mid-30s with medium-length brown hair and a light-colored mustache. He was wearing a long-sleeved pink and blue shirt and jeans.

Rhudy said the car was a blue mid-sized sedan with a sticker sporting green letters on the rear bumper. The car was extremely dirty on the inside, with a strong smell of perfume or cologne. A deodorizer in the shape of a Christmas tree hung inside the car, Rhudy said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives at (818) 989-8375.