| My age: | 38 | |
| I like: | Male | |
| My Sign of the zodiac: | Aquarius | |
| What is my body features: | My figure features is strong | |
| My tattoo: | None |
AP — As Alyssa Bonal fought the strange man who had just grabbed her by the throat, threatened her with a knife and dragged her toward his van, she had the presence of mind to get as much of the blue slime she had been playing with on him as possible, so police could identify him.
Her intuition proved right. Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said when his detectives arrested Jared Paul Stanga late Tuesday after a massive manhunt, his arms were still streaked with blue dye.
Stanga is white. Prosecutors said the evidence against Stanga is strong. In addition to the slime, the silver bumper of his van had just been painted black — detectives during the manhunt had described the silver bumper in their bulletin to the public.
They say Stanga was also seen making a purchase at a nearby convenience store minutes after the attack wearing the same clothes as the assailant, and he texted his boss saying he would be late because he had to take his child to school — even though the child is attending school online. The security camera video shows Alyssa alone on the traffic island at 7 a.
A white van passes her — she looks at it as it drives away. She had told her mom and teacher two weeks earlier that a man in a white van had approached her at the bus stop, speaking Spanish to her and making her feel uncomfortable.
The van returned a minute later and stopped. The driver jumped out and ran at Alyssa, reaching behind himself as if pulling a knife.
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She grabbed her backpack and tried to flee, but the man put her in a headlock and dragged her toward his van. She struggled, saying she kicked at his legs, causing them both to fall to the ground.
She broke free and ran back to the nearby mobile home park where she lives with her mom and two siblings. The man ran back to his van and sped away. Amber Bonal said she had been walking her daughter to the bus stop every morning since the strange man approached the girl, but as they were leaving Tuesday, her month-old daughter suddenly needed a diaper change and she feared Alyssa would miss her bus.
Bonal said the pandemic has been hard on the family. But Alyssa takes the hardships in stride, she said, making the honor roll at her elementary school and looking after her baby sister.
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May 20, GMT. Stanga is charged with attempted kidnapping and aggravated assault on an year-old girl in Pensacola, Fla. Stanga remained jailed without bond Wednesday, May Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
