CHICAGO — Police have issued a community alert after a man attempted to kidnap a 5-year-old girl from the city’s Northwest Side.

The mother and child were walking on the 5100 block of West Fullerton Avenue around 11:58 a.m. Thursday in the Belmont-Cragin neighborhood, when an unknown man started to follow them.

According to police, the man engaged in conversation with the mother and offered her an unknown amount of money in exchange for her daughter.

When the woman refused, the man attempted to grab the girl by the hair towards him, police said. The mother and daughter were able to get away safely.

According to police, the man has a thin beard with bright red hair and between 20 to 25-years old. He is described to be about 5-foot-6 and weighs around 160 pounds. The man was wearing a black hat, black t-shirt and red shorts at the time of the incident.

Chicago police urge anyone with information about the offender or incident to call police at: (312)-746-6554