A man was charged Friday with sexually assaulting and attempting to kidnap an 11-year-old girl as she walked home from school in Wilmington, authorities said.

Jose Julian Jaime Jr., 30, of Hawthorne, faces one count of first-degree murder for lewd acts on a child under 14 and one count of attempted kidnapping to commit another felony, according to the DA’s office of Los Angeles County.

A man approached the girl from behind in the area of ​​M Street and Gulf Avenue around 3:15 p.m. Monday, fondled her breasts and tried to remove her from the area, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Residents saw the attack and intervened, prompting the man to flee in a gray Nissan Kicks, LA police said.

“I would also like to express our sincere gratitude to the witnesses who stepped in during this critical time,” said Solicitor Dist. George Gascón in a statement. “Your willingness to act and provide help to the victim and valuable information to the police was vital in identifying the suspect, demonstrating the strength and unity of our community in protecting its most vulnerable members.”

Jaime, who the DA’s office said had no prior relationship with the victim, was arrested Wednesday at his home. He is being held on $1 million bail, according to the LAPD. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 19 years in prison, according to prosecutors.

“No child should ever have to face such a terrible encounter, and we are committed to supporting her in any way we can,” Gascón said.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.