Mission Valley Mall kidnapper who grabbed girls, 5 and 6, in 2024, gets 10 years

A man who tried to abduct two children within days of each other at the Westfield Mission Valley mall was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in state prison.

Rene Arturo Lujan Jr., 44, admitted to grabbing two girls, 5 and 6, on June 18 and June 20, 2024, leading to his arrest roughly two hours after the second kidnap attempt.

Lujan, who faced a maximum possible prison term of 12 years, pleaded guilty earlier this year to all charges filed against him, which included attempted kidnapping and possession of child sexual abuse material. As part of his sentence, he is required to register as a sex offender.

Police said the first incident happened at about 1:30 p.m. June 18, when a man grabbed a 6-year-old girl who was pushing her younger sibling in a stroller. Lt. Daniel Meyer of the San Diego Police Department said the suspect first walked past the girl and her family, then started following them and grabbed the girl.

Meyer said the man carried her for a few feet until the girl started screaming, then he released her and ran off before fleeing the area in a black Chevrolet Volt.

Two days later, police said, Lujan tried to grab a 5-year-old girl at the mall at around 2 p.m. and put her into a car, but an employee of a nearby business intervened.

Meyer said the license plate number of the suspect’s car was entered into the police department’s automated license plate reader database, which alerted them that the car passed under a license plate reader in downtown San Diego. Officers pulled Lujan over at about 4 p.m. as he was driving on eastbound state Route 94 near Home Avenue in the Mount Hope area and arrested him.

Deputy District Attorney Eva Kilamyan said a subsequent search of Lujan’s electronic devices revealed that in the time leading up to the attempted abductions, he was viewing child sexual abuse material and had made a variety of internet searches regarding murder, torture, rape and kidnapping, including a review of news articles focused on child abductions.

“It’s very scary to think about what he would have done if he was successful in his kidnappings,” Kilamyan said.

Kilamyan also alleged that between the two kidnapping attempts, Lujan was kicked out of a different mall after he was spotted loitering in an area near where children were playing.

The parents of the girl who was nearly taken on June 20 attended the sentencing hearing and said their daughter continues to be impacted by the incident.

The girl’s mother said she fears strangers and crowds, and continues to have “the lingering fear that the `bad man’ will come back.” The girl’s older sister was also present during the attempted kidnapping and her parents said she feels guilt over the incident and worries constantly over her little sister.

“Whatever he had planned, I have a tough time assuming he was ever going to let her come home,” her father said.

Lujan’s defense attorney, Kristen Haden, said her client is “certainly remorseful for his actions” and asked Superior Court Judge Marian Gaston for a prison term ranging from five to seven years, citing mitigating factors that she said included “significant mental health issues.”

Gaston said that in imposing her sentence, she took into account that Lujan’s mental health issues “certainly contributed to the current conduct.”

The incidents at Mission Valley Mall

On June 18, 2024, a 6-year-old girl was pushing a stroller with her 8-month-old brother inside, walking behind her mother in front of Buffalo Wild Wings when Lujan came up behind her, grabbed her by the shoulders, picked her up and walked 4-5 feet, according to the San Diego Police Department.

The girl cried out, prompting her mother to turn around and confront Lujan, who said he believed the girl was someone else before he walked away and drove off, police said. The mother and her daughter then went to speak with security at the nearby Target store, where the mother called 911, SDPD Lt. Bryan Brecht said at the time.

In the second incident, which took place around 2 p.m. on June 20, a girl about 5 years old was picked up by Lujan, who attempted to carry the child away and place her into a vehicle, police said.

the 42-year-old was arrested with a license plate reader’s help. NBC 7’s Shandel Menezes explains what happened.

The girl’s mother, Amanda Hartwell, told NBC 7 that her daughter, her sister and a friend had just been dropped off at the play area by a family member.

An employee of the bounce house amusement park Inflatable World described the kidnapping. She only wanted to be identified by her first name for fear of her safety.

“I’m thinking maybe that’s their dad, maybe going to pay or something, real quick, and he comes, gets out of the car, grabs the littlest one, picks her up and walks away with her,” Jazmine said.

Without a second thought, she ran out of the park toward the man.

“I immediately knew something was wrong, so I ran out the door, and I grabbed her from him, and he just dipped,” Jazmine said. “I did ask if they knew him, and they said they don’t know him at all.”

The black vehicle in that encounter matched the description of the getaway car. Hours later, Lujan was located by police on state Route 94 between Interstates 15 and 805, police said. The vehicle was located with the assistance of digital license plate readers.

NBC 7

NBC 7

Lujan’s father spoke with NBC 7 following the arrest and said his son has struggled with mental health issues and showed sympathy for the victims. He added that he felt his son is in a “better place now” for what he’s going through and hopes he can get help.

Court records show Lujan was arrested and charged in at least two other cases in 2000 and 2009 for other unknown crimes. The case from 2000 was sealed by court officials, but the second, later case involved a DUI in East County. Lujan was sentenced the following year to five years probation and 21 days of confinement, as well as a fine.