A tense chapter for one of San Diego’s busiest shopping hubs is nearing its legal end, after a local man admitted he tried to snatch young children in two separate attempts at the Westfield Mission Valley mall last June. Prosecutors say 43-year-old Rene Arturo Lujan pleaded guilty Friday to attempted kidnapping charges and acknowledged in court that he grabbed the children during the incidents. Detectives used automated license plate readers to zero in on a suspect vehicle and arrest him last summer.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Lujan’s plea to charges that include attempted kidnapping carries a maximum potential sentence of 12 years in state prison. Court filings reviewed by the paper show that his sentencing is scheduled for April.
The first scare unfolded around 1:30 p.m. on June 18, 2024, when investigators say a man trailed a 6-year-old girl who was pushing an infant sibling in a stroller through the mall. The man allegedly grabbed the girl and carried her a few feet before she screamed, prompting him to drop her and run, according to the Times of San Diego. Witnesses and surveillance video helped investigators pull a license plate number, which they tied to a black Chevrolet Volt…