Man Pleads Guilty to Child Kidnapping Attempt
- Escondido resident Christopher Allen McCall, 41, pleaded guilty to attempted kidnapping of a 12-year-old boy walking home from school in March 2024. - McCall grabbed the boy near Arbor Drive and Citracado Parkway, tried dragging him into his vehicle, but released him after the child fought back and screamed. - Guilty plea avoids trial; sentencing set for January 17, 2025, with maximum 6-year prison term amid rising child predator concerns in San Diego County.
Christopher Allen McCall grabbed a 12-year-old boy off the street in Escondido. The kid fought back — hard — and escaped. Now McCall, 41, has pleaded guilty to attempted kidnapping, closing a case that rattled parents across San Diego County. This happened in March 2024, but the plea just landed in federal court, spotlighting how predators lurk in everyday spots like school routes (justice.gov). ### What exactly went down that day? The boy was walking home alone from his middle school near Arbor Drive and Citracado Parkway — a quiet residential area in north Escondido. Around 3 p.m. on March 19, McCall pulled up in a white sedan, jumped out, and clamped onto the kid's arm. He tried yanking him toward the open passenger door, saying something like "get in the car." But the boy screamed, kicked, and broke free — sprinting to a nearby house to call 911. McCall sped off, but witnesses caught his license plate (sandiegouniontribune.com). ### How did police nail McCall so fast? Turns out, that license plate led straight to him. Escondido PD ran it, linked the car to McCall's address just blocks away, and searched his home the next day. They found the white sedan in his garage — still with kid-sized handprints and scuff marks on the door from the struggle. McCall had a record too: prior arrests for child molestation and peeping tom stuff in San Diego County. Federal charges kicked in because it crossed state lines in investigation scope, bumping it to U.S. Attorney's office (cbs8.com). ### Why "attempted kidnapping" and not worse? Legally, it's attempted because McCall never got the boy fully into the car or across a property line — California Penal Code 207 defines kidnapping as moving someone a substantial distance by force. But feds charged under 18 U.S.C. § 1201 for interstate threat potential, given his priors. The boy wasn't hurt physically, but trauma lingers — he described McCall as a tall white guy in a hoodie, matching the suspect perfectly. Plea deal means no trial, sparing the kid more stress ([nbcsandiego.
