Man followed 11-year-old girl into Albany Park store, tried to kidnap her: cops

A man has been charged with trying to kidnap an 11-year-old girl Tuesday morning inside a store in the Albany Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side.

Gary Powell, 27, followed the girl into the store about 11:20 a.m. in the 3600 block of West Montrose, according to a statement from Chicago Police.

He followed her to the cash register, helped her put her items on the counter and then put his arm around her and “insisted she accompany him out of the establishment,” police said.

Authorities were called, and responding officers took Powell into custody about 10 minutes later in the same block, police said.

Powell, who lives in the Northwest Side Mayfair neighborhood, was charged with a felony count of attempted aggravated kidnapping of a victim under 13 years old, police said.

Judge John F. Lyke Jr. ordered Powell held without bail during a hearing Wednesday, according to Cook County court records. His next court date was scheduled for April 3.