Huntington Beach Man Arrested in Attempted Kidnaping of Girl

Police on Wednesday arrested a Huntington Beach man suspected of trying to kidnap a 12-year-old girl while she was talking to her friends on the street.

Glen Scott Simons, 25, was arrested on charges of attempted kidnaping and child molestation after he allegedly tried to force the girl into his car Tuesday morning, police said.

Investigators are trying to determine if he was involved in a similar attempt in Huntington Beach last month.

The 12-year-old was standing with friends at Lampson Avenue and Seal Beach Boulevard at 10:45 a.m. when a man drove up and asked for directions, police said.

The suspect “attempted to pull the victim into his vehicle,” Seal Beach Sgt. Rick Randfell said. “The victim broke free and escaped with her friends.”

The man drove away.

Huntington Beach detectives led Seal Beach investigators to Simons, police said. They did not explain why they suspected him.

But on July 28, a man tried to force a 14-year-old girl in Huntington Beach into a van after asking her if she was familiar with the streets in the area.

The man then pointed a small, automatic handgun at the girl. He drove away when she screamed and ran to a nearby house, police said.

Police declined to say whether Simons is also suspected of that attempted abduction. In both cases, the men were described as white, about 30, 5-foot-8 with dark hair and a mustache.