A 9-year-old girl was walking home when two men may have tried to kidnap her, sheriff says

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office is looking for two men who possibly attempted to kidnap a 9-year-old girl Tuesday.

The girl was walking home from school around 3:10 p.m. Tuesday in the area of Little Creek Drive and Canopy Drive of New Port Richey when she was “chased from the roadway and between houses” by a man, according to the sheriff’s office. The girl is a student at Deer Park Elementary and lives in the Little Creek gated community, according to Bay News 9.

Sharon Nickels, a member of her Homeowners Association, saw surveillance video of the incident, Bay News 9 reported.

“It clearly showed two males, tall thin males, coming from the pool area and they were chasing her, she glances that way, sees them, and she starts running,” Nickels told Bay News 9. Deputies are not releasing the footage.

The girl was able to lose the suspects while looking for help, but investigators told Bay News 9 the suspects drove by the girl in a blue car and tried to talk her into getting in, according to the sheriff’s office.

The girl was able to get into her home and lock the doors and set off the home’s alarm while the suspect fled the area, according to the sheriff’s office and Bay News 9.

A person of interest has been identified and contacted by deputies, according to Bay News 9. Deputies are monitoring bus stops and the neighborhood.

Anyone with information on the incident or the suspect is asked to call the Pasco Sheriff’s Office at 800-706-2488.

This story was originally published May 10, 2017 at 6:48 PM with the headline "A 9-year-old girl was walking home when two men may have tried to kidnap her, sheriff says."