Caught on Video: Heroic Strangers Wrestle Would-Be Kidnapper to the Ground

Several early morning commuters heroically stepped in to foil the attempted kidnapping of a teenage girl at a South Los Angeles light rail station Thursday morning, preventing a convicted sex offender from potentially claiming another victim.

"Eight to 10 people wrestled him to the ground," sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said. "The bystanders refused to let this occur. They brought this man to the ground, and there was a fight. It was an aggressive fight," he added.

Security cameras captured the group of Good Samaritans tackling the girl's would-be attacker:

Local Fox affiliate KCOP reports:

When they arrived, witnesses told deputies that commuters at the station had wrestled a man to the ground after he grabbed an unidentified teenage girl from behind and tried to drag her away. The girl broke free and ran away, Whitmore said. The attacker fled on an arriving train. The suspect is identified as James Alfred Burnett, a 46-year-old registered sex offender with a criminal history.

When Burnett arrived at the Imperial station, waiting deputies arrested him, Whitmore said. He was booked on suspicion of attempted kidnapping. Burnett was taken to a hospital, where he was treated for cuts and bruises.

The girl left the scene but has since contacted police after media reports about the story.