Santa Monica police arrest a 39-year-old homeless woman named Courtney Perrone who is accused of attempting to kidnap an 8-year-old girl

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (KABC) — A woman was arrested for allegedly attempting to kidnap an 8-year-old girl in Santa Monica, police said Thursday.

Courtney Perrone, 39, is accused of hugging the child and trying to snatch him from a neighbor.

According to Santa Monica police, officers responded to a call about a suspicious person in the 800 block of the alley south of Maple Street, just north of Ocean Park Boulevard, around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Perrone, who reportedly tried to flee after the failed kidnapping attempt, was found next to her BMW in a Gelson parking lot. She was identified as a suspect by witnesses, police said.

After investigating, police said Perrone approached the child, who was helping a neighbor load several pets into a car. The neighbor, who only identified himself as Mark, said the little girl was like family to him, so he knew he had to act quickly.

“She's like my niece, I'm like her 'Uncle Markie,'” he said. “As we were getting in the car, I reached for the keys … this woman came running and said, 'That's my daughter, that's my daughter.' She acted like it was her child.”

Perrone is said to have said that she was a Russian policewoman and would take the child with her.

“She had lipstick all over her face and just looked a little crazy and stuff,” Mark said. “She said something like, 'I'm the Russian police and I'm here to save you.'”

According to police, Perrone then knelt down and put her arms around the child, which led to a “tug of war” between Mark and Perrone.

Mark put the child in the front seat of his car and told Perrone to drive away.

“I said, 'You better get out of here now,' and I have my keys and everything,” Mark said. “As I did that, she reached into her purse, pulled out a switchblade and held it out to me.”

At that point, Perrone left the scene and was later arrested. Police said the child was unharmed.

“She's a brave little girl, she put her foot against the door. She screamed, 'Leave me alone!'” Mark recalled.

He said the little girl even asked for him after the ordeal.

“She told me, 'I saw her holding the knife and I thought she was going to get you,' and I said, 'It's okay. We're safe now. God was watching over us.'”

New details about Courtney Perrone

According to Santa Monica police, Perrone has a previous out-of-state arrest for assault, resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance and trespassing. Police said she appears to be homeless and living in her BMW.

Perrone was recently released by the Los Angeles Police Department due to insufficient evidence in an alleged assault with a deadly weapon. She is currently on probation for a Nevada case and has a warrant out of New Hampshire for her arrest.

Santa Monica police reported that this is Perrone's first contact with police and that she will be arraigned on Friday. She faces serious charges of attempted kidnapping and false imprisonment, and the knife is a misdemeanor.

City News Service contributed to this report.