Worcester Police: Man watched girl get off school bus, tried to kidnap her

WORCESTER, Mass. — A man followed a girl after she was dropped off at a bus stop and tried to kidnap her in Worcester on Monday, according to police.

"I had headphones in, but I heard him call me a pretty girl, but I ignored him and kept on walking," said Sailly Encarncion.

At first, the 16-year-old told us she tried to ignore the stranger who called out to her near her bus stop, she kept her head down, her headphones in, but the man did not go away.

She said when she reached a tire shop, the stranger tried again, only this time, he tried to grab her.

"He keeps saying I have to go with him, you need to come with me, that my mom is with him. And my mom wants me to go with him. And he said this is his job, that I need to go with him," Sailly told Boston 25 News.

Instead, a tire store employee saw what was happening and got in between the two. Sailly then called 911.

Jose Palau, 37, was arrested outside the business where she was hiding from him after calling police.

When officers showed up, they said Palau was rude and 'extremely confrontational and aggressive,' making lewd gestures and comments at officers.

Police say the girl stepped outside to talk to officers and Palau yelled: "that's my girl!"

Sailly's mom Vilmarie Marti told us she's proud of her daughter, "I'm really proud of her. I'm just glad she thought about it, she didn’t trust him, she knew exactly what she needed to do. She’s lucky. Some girls don’t get out that easy."

Palau hid his face during his arraignment in Worcester District Court Tuesday on charges of attempted kidnapping, accosting someone of the opposite sex, assault and a lewd and lascivious act. He is being held on $10,000.

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