Phoenix police say they are probing deeper into the history of a "dangerous predator" accused of molesting a 5-year-old girl after reportedly snatching her from outside a north Phoenix apartment complex on Christmas Day.
Investigators are trying to determine if there are other victims tied to 45-year-old Larry Jon Ladwig, who was booked into jail early Saturday on suspicion of sexual molestation, kidnapping, aggravated assault on a police officer and felony flight, according to police spokesman Sgt. Andy Hill.
The victim, a 5-year-old girl, was abducted outside an apartment complex near 19th Avenue and Cactus Road.
The Arizona Republic is not naming the girl because she is a sexual-assault victim.
Police say the girl, now back in the custody of her aunt, was with Ladwig for more than seven hours before officers tracked down a suspicious truck and chased it for several minutes until it crashed.
Hill said Ladwig was reported to be casing the apartment complex as early as last Monday.
"It seems like he was staking out and stalking," Hill said.
The Phoenix girl's safe return is a rare outcome in stranger-abduction cases. Hill said that in cases of stranger abduction in which the victim is missing for more than three hours, 98 to 99 percent of the time, the victim is likely found dead.
Authorities say the outcome may have been different if not for the quick thinking of Phoenix Police K-9 Officer Mike Burns.
Burns pulled alongside a suspicious truck after hearing several Amber Alerts and seeing the missing girl's picture on a billboard. The license plate on the car didn't match the Amber Alert, but Burns said the driver matched the description and there was a little girl sitting in the passenger seat.
"There was no doubt in my mind that we were going to chase him until we caught him," he said.
Burns said spotting the suspicious car with the girl was just a matter of luck and being at the right place at the right time.
Hill said the girl's safe return was more than luck: "I call it just great police work."
Police say Ladwig may face additional charges as their investigation continues.
It's unclear where Ladwig is from. Hill said investigators did not find an address connected to him as of Saturday afternoon.
Ladwig is on parole from California and also has a criminal record in Arizona, Hill said. Ladwig was released on parole from the Arizona Department of Corrections in July after serving a two-year sentence for a drug violation. Court records show he has a history of possession of dangerous drugs since at least 2000.
Phoenix police are asking anyone with information in this case or anyone who knows of other suspects tied to this incident to call 602-262-6141.
Subscribe