Transient arrested on suspicion of attempted child abduction

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The suspect was booked into the Santa Clara County Jail Wednesday night for kidnapping, false imprisonment, and child endangerment. 

"The safety of our children is a priority for the police department," said Capt. Gary Berg. "We wanted to make sure that nothing like this could happen again, that the community is safe, and we can get a predator like this off the streets."

Police arrested 25-year old Roberto Felipe-Velasco on Wednesday at the Extra Space Storage on Sunnyoaks Avenue in Campbell. An officer driving by noticed a car in the parking lot that was seen in surveillance video near where the victim was grabbed.

"The surveillance video shows the car very clearly," explained Capt. Berg.  It was a silver 1998 Honda Accord. The officer recognized the man sitting inside as the suspect from the police sketch. 

"It was good old fashioned police work," Berg said.

Police say it appears Velasco was a transient, living out of his car in the storage facility parking lot. Investigators found clothing inside a storage unit that matched the description of clothing the suspect was wearing when he approached the girl on Saturday, under the guise of asking for directions. 

"And once he got close enough to her, that's when he grabbed her in a bear hug," explained Berg. "She started screaming and fought back."

Police said Velasco has no prior record, but investigators aren't sure if he could be responsible for other similar incidents. They are asking anyone with information about Velasco to come forward.

On Thursday, the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office said it was still reviewing the case. Velasco is being held in the main jail without bail.