East County Girl, 8, Uses Kung Fu Move to Fight Off Intruder

El Cajon, CA — An 8-year-old girl said a self-defense move she'd just learned in class was what helped her fight off a bad man who broke into her and her younger brother's bedroom as they slept.

The girl, whose identity was protected because of her age, fought off the prowler at about 4 a.m. Sunday, according to El Cajon police.

"An unidentified suspect had removed the window screen from a ground floor window that was open and made entry into their condo," police Lt. Rob Ransweiler said. "The suspect entered the second-floor bedroom of the 8-year-old victim and her 6-year-old brother who were both asleep in the room. After the victim was awakened by the suspect, she struck him, causing him to flee the home."

Officers from the El Cajon Police Department responded to the condominium complex in the 1300 block of Hawk Lane with a K9 unit from the San Diego County Sheriff's Department after the mother of the girl called police to report the incident.

They conducted a search for the alleged prowler but were unable to locate him, Ransweiler said.

Police say the girl woke her parents after the man left the residence and told them what happened.

She described the suspect — whom she told 10News picked her up and took her downstairs before she used the "cheetah paw" move on him — as a man with tanned skin and dark, “fluffy” hair. He was between 5 feet 8 and 5 feet 10 inches tall with a thin build and a strong, "dirty" body odor, and was wearing dark clothing and a backpack.

None of the residents' belongings appeared to missing from the home, the lieutenant said, and the girl was not injured.

Ransweiler did say a screen was removed from another nearby condo the same morning.

Anyone with information that could lead to the identity of the suspect was encouraged to call the El Cajon Police Department at 619-579-3311.