Cops this week were on the hunt for a man they say has tried to kidnap women on the street on two separate occasions in Santa Monica.

Police call the suspect “bold” and “dangerous” because he has committed his crimes in daylight and on well-traveled roads.

Here's the deal:
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Although detectives say it's possible there are two different suspects here, they think the case more likely involves just one. According to a Santa Monica police statement:

There has been no confirmation that the suspects in each crime are one in the same; however, the facts involved in both cases tend to point that way

About 8 p.m. on Wednesday a man drove up to a woman walking in the 1600 block of Ocean Avenue and attempted to pull her into his car, described as a late-model four-door VW hatchback.



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According to Santa Monica police:

As the victim passed, the suspect grabbed her in a bear hug and moved her a few feet toward the car, while ordering her into the car. As he did that, an unidentified person appeared in a stairwell in an adjacent apartment building, causing the suspect to let go of the victim. The victim walked away and immediately reported the incident to the police.

The second attempt happened at about 10:30 a.m. Friday in the 1900 block of 14th Street, near Olympic Boulevard, police say. The victim reported that she passed a man walking ahead of her and that he grabbed her, according to the department:

Moments later she heard footsteps behind her and felt the suspect grab her waist with one hand and covered her mouth with his other hand. He ordered the victim to get into a car. The victim screamed and the subject ran away northbound while the victim ran south to Pico Boulevard.

The victim didn't catch the kind of car involved, cops say. 



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In both cases the suspect was described as African American with short, “shaved” hair. In the first incident, the victim said he was 6 feet, 2 inches, 215 pounds or so and wearing jeans and a black hoodie.

The second victim said her attacker was 5 feet, 10 inches, thin, with orange-striped dark shorts and a matching short-sleeve shirt.

If you have info on the guy investigators would love to hear from you: 310-458-8491.

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