The frightening March 3 ambush occurred around 12 p.m. near Lincoln Avenue and East Street shortly after a woman and her 14-year-old daughter exited a transit bus, according to investigators with the Anaheim Police Department.
In surveillance footage obtained by KTLA, the suspect, 59-year-old Jose Gudino, can be seen standing beneath a freeway overpass a short distance behind the woman and her daughter.
As they walk across the street, Gudino quickly ducks behind a pillar and watches them before grabbing a plastic bag he’d set down earlier and following them.
While the alleged assault was not caught on camera, APD Sgt. Matt Sutter told KTLA that a short time later, the suspect jumped out of some bushes and tried to pull the pair off the sidewalk while verbally threatening to sexually assault them.
Both victims fought back and were able to break free. At one point, they were even able to take a picture of their alleged attacker.
A good Samaritan who witnessed at least a portion of the incident stopped her vehicle to see what was going on and came to the aid of the girl and her mother, giving them a ride home, and they immediately called police to report the incident.
Surveillance footage appears to capture a 59-year-old tracking a teenage girl and her mother a short time before he allegedly attempted to kidnap and rape them on March 3, 2026. (Anaheim PD)
Surveillance footage appears to capture a 59-year-old tracking a teenage girl and her mother a short time before he allegedly attempted to kidnap and rape them on March 3, 2026. (Anaheim PD)
Surveillance footage appears to capture a 59-year-old tracking a teenage girl and her mother a short time before he allegedly attempted to kidnap and rape them on March 3, 2026. (Anaheim PD)
Jose Gudino, 59, was arrested in connection to an alleged kidnapping and sexual assault of a woman and her teenage daughter in Anaheim on March 3, 2026. (Anaheim PD)
“A serious crime like this generated a large response from the Anaheim Police Department,” Sutter told KTLA. “We sent detectives, patrol officers, investigators, undercover investigators and immediately launched our investigation.”
The department also used its real-time crime center to pull up surveillance footage from cameras in the area to track the suspect’s movements and facial recognition technology to identify him.
“I’m happy to report that within two hours, we did arrest the suspect,” Sutter said.
Gudino, who is known to Anaheim police, was taken into custody and has since been charged by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office with two counts of kidnapping with intent to commit rape.
“His prior arrests include narcotics violations, trespassing, things I would consider lower-level crimes,” the sergeant said. “There was nothing to indicate that he was any type of predator or would do this type of behavior.”
Private L.A. school accused of covering up sexual assaults, racism on water polo team
Investigators are now trying to track down the good Samaritan, not only to thank her for assisting the victims, but to take a report on what she saw. She reportedly left the area after giving the teen and her mother a ride home.
“The women were so traumatized, at first they didn’t even know what kind of car they were in,” Sutter explained. “All they could tell us was that it was a female driver and possibly a white SUV. So, anyone who has information about this person who stopped to help, please contact the Anaheim Police Department.”
Police officials said that crimes of this nature are rare in Anaheim and believe this was an isolated incident but added that they encourage everyone to be vigilant and always remain aware of their surroundings.
KTLA Assignment Editor Elizabeth Chapman contributed to this report.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.