Man charged in connection with kidnapping of 8-year-old girl in West Seattle

Prosecutors said 22-year-old Cristien Bugge-Marcum is charged with second-degree attempted kidnapping.

At approximately 2 p.m. Saturday, officers with the Seattle Police Department (SPD) responded to reports of a young man trying to take a young girl while she was playing in the front yard of a home with her friends. When police arrived, the girl was unharmed but reportedly “terrified.”

Man armed with knife tried to grab 8-year-old from West Seattle sidewalk, police say

Bugge-Marcum allegedly tried to grab and drag the 8-year-old girl from the sidewalk, according to police. Investigators said he was armed with a knife. The girl screamed, alerting nearby adults, and Bugge-Marcum ran off.

According to the probable cause statement obtained by KIRO 7, Bugge-Marcum allegedly “gripped her arm and attempted to pull her further down the driveway and behind the neighbor’s home.” He then allegedly pulled her “with his left hand while holding a knife in his other hand.”

Police used surveillance video to identify Bugge-Marcum and arrested him near the scene the following day.

He is being held on $750,000 bail and is due to appear in court on Monday.