Detectives worked through the night, and traced the suspect to a home in Clovis, not too far from Viking Elementary School which was locked down during the investigation.
This is what residents near Viking Elementary School woke up to: Sheriff's deputies, and a SWAT team surrounding a home where suspected kidnapper Kalvin Cardenas was living.
He's accused of kidnapping and assaulting a 10-year-old girl Tuesday morning.
She was on her way to school in the area of Jackson and Gettysburg, when Sheriff Mims says the suspect forced her into his truck and assaulted her.
Mims says the girl was eventually able to escape the bindings, and her kidnapper.
She was later found on the side of the road on the west side of Fresno.
Sheriff Margaret Mims: "This little girl was a great witness. She remembered the description of the suspect, description of the vehicle."
Detectives traced the suspect's brown pickup truck to an apartment complex near Cedar and Shaw.
After questioning people there, they were led to this home on National in Clovis.
After a stand-off, the suspects roommates came out.
Cardenas was tear-gassed out.
Travis Larson, Suspect's Roommate: "He yells at me drop the gun, it's the cops! They chimed in, drop the firearm, show us your hands. He looked at me and said, my truck! Tell them it's your truck! Cover for me! Cover for me man!"
Travis Larson says Cardenas was quiet and kept to himself, but never suspected him to be capable of anything like this.
He was there when the Cardenas came home last night.
"I noticed his car wasn't home. I noticed he rode in on a beach cruiser bicycle and said his car wasn't working."
The bicycle was not that of the victim's.
That has yet to be found.
Deputies were concerned that no one was aware that the victim was missing until after the incident at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday morning.
Fresno Unified is working closely with Sheriff's detectives and says, on the first absence, an automated call goes out to parents, but not until that evening.
District officials are now working on some changes to the attendance policy.
Michael Hansen: FUSD Superintendent: "To see the number of adults walking their kids to school today was appreciated and I hope we continue to do that as a city that we continue to be with our kids all the time we possibly can."
The Fresno Sheriff's Office isn't releasing the booking photo of Cardenas just yet.
Deputies say other police agencies are investigating similar crimes, and that the release of his photo could compromise those investigations.
Fresno Unified is working closely with the Sheriff's Office on the investigation.
Officials are encouraging parents to talk with their kids about safety precautions as they walk to and from school.
TXT 24
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