Attempted kidnapping at gas station leads to arrest in Yucca Valley
A man was arrested on suspicion of attempting to kidnap a child from a Yucca Valley gas station.
On October 12 at around 6:47 p.m., San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the ARCO gas station in the 56000 block of Twentynine Palms Highway in Yucca Valley. Deputies received a report of the attempted kidnapping of a 13-year-old male victim.
Deputies say that the juvenile victim was inside the gas station when an adult male exited a truck in the parking lot and approached the victim. Deputies identified the suspect as Andrew Moran, a 33 year-old resident of Yucca Valley. Deputies say he attempted to forcibly remove the victim from the business. Deputies say the victim was able to escape, and Moran fled the scene to his awaiting vehicle.
Deputies say they used automated license plate reader technology and criminal databases to locate Moran at a home in the 7400 block of Bannon Trail in Yucca Valley. On October 13, deputies served a warrant at the home and took Moran into custody.
Andrew Moran was arrested on suspicion of the attempted kidnapping of a minor for lewd and lascivious acts. He was booked into the Morongo Basin and has since been released on $500,000 bail.
