Pensacola man sentenced to 15 years for attempted child kidnapping caught on video

The Pensacola man charged with attempting to kidnap an 11-year-old girl from her bus stop in 2021 pleaded no contest to his charges and will spend the next 15 years in state prison.

Circuit Judge John Simon sentenced 32-year-old Jared Stanga to 15 years in Florida’s Department of Corrections for his first-degree felony kidnapping charge.

"Well, Mr. Stanga what you have is serious charges and, frankly, the state described it appropriately — it was a brazen attempt to kidnap a child," Simon told Stanga prior to levying his sentence. "I understand you entered a plea ... and frankly that's justified in this case. I mean, 7 o'clock in the morning you apparently went to that bus stop with the intent to kidnap that child."

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After Stanga’s 15-year prison term is over, he is sentenced to two years of community control followed by three years of probation for a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Simon sentenced Stanga to time served for his misdemeanor battery charge.

According to court documents, Stanga faced a maximum penalty up to 30 years in state prison; however, as part of the plea agreement, Stanga and the State Attorney’s office agreed to cap his maximum sentence at 15 years.

Simon also told Stanga he is no longer to have any contact with persons under 18 years old except his 3-year-old daughter.

What happened during the May 18, 2021 kidnapping attempt?

The 11-year-old girl, who is now 13, was sitting alone at her bus stop at the corner of Old Corry Field Road and Perdido Street when surveillance shows Stanga pull up and park next to the girl.

Video shows Stanga exiting his vehicle and running toward the girl with a knife, grabbing the girl by the neck. Prosecutors say he was trying to kidnap her.

After a brief struggle, the video shows Stanga retreat to his vehicle and the girl run back home. Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies found Stanga roughly eight hours later.

Following Stanga's arrest, Escambia Sheriff Chip Simmons says the department received reports from the same girl two weeks prior regarding Stanga approaching her. Simmons also said it's likely Stanga watched her for several weeks.

“Society has gotten to a point where we have to keep an eye on our children,” Simon said during a press conference following the kidnapping attempt. “Simply going to school where a child can learn, they shouldn’t have to worry about their safety, or their parents shouldn’t have to worry about their safety.

“Frankly, you deserve prison," Simon said at the time, "and that’s what you’re going to get.”