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Deputies rescue kidnapped girl after chase near Eugene

11:42 AM PST on Wednesday, January 21, 2009

By DAVID KROUGH, kgw.com Staff

EUGENE, Ore. -- A 10-year-old girl was rescued from a kidnapping by a stranger who took the girl on a chase involving several police agencies Tuesday afternoon, Lane County deputies said.

It happened in the Santa Clara area of Eugene around 5 p.m. after witnesses called police to say a man grabbed a girl while she was riding her bike on River Loop #1 and forced her into a car.

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Deputies said the car description matched that of a car recently stolen out of a nearby neighborhood.

After seeing the suspect blow through a stop sign, officers from Eugene and the state patrol joined in the chase through the Elmira area.

An officer was able to stop the car by deflating the tires, then forcing it to stop.

Investigators said they took the 10-year-old girl to a hospital with minor injuries.

Detectives arrested 25-year-old Michael Gerlach, a California man, who was awaiting formal charges Wednesday.

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