SAN DIEGO — Story update March 29:
The man accused of grabbing an 8-year-old boy and attempting to pull him across the street in Ocean Beach pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment and battery.
Christopher Higginbotham, 38, was arraigned at Superior Court in Downtown San Diego on Friday. Higginbotham remains in custody on no bail.
Higginbotham, 38, was arrested on Wednesday after the boy's father, Adrian Villanueva, pressed charges against him for the attempted kidnapping of his son.
WATCH: Stranger grabs 8-year-old child in Ocean Beach leaving him traumatized
Original story March 27:
A father is concerned about safety in Ocean Beach after surveillance video showed a man trying to kidnap his son.
The incident was captured on video on Friday night in front of the father while the family was finishing dinner outside the new deli they just opened on Newport Avenue.
Adrian Villanueva says that he and his family were on the patio enjoying dinner and his eight-year-old son was playing on the sidewalk when a man came up from behind the boy, grabbed him and tried to pull him across the street.
The ordeal was caught on camera.
“He grabbed my kid right here. He just grabbed him and pulled him down. And he said, ‘this my son, this is my son,'” said Villanueva.
The father said he tried to pull his son away from the would-be kidnapper.
“I pushed him. I said, 'no, he is not your son,’ and then I tried to get him out. And that’s when he grabbed my kid, and he started running away through the street,” said Villanueva.
The surveillance video shows bystanders rushing to help.
“Security guards from Pacific Shores and from The Harp, they came over here and they grabbed him and pulled towards to the car,” said Villanueva.
Bystanders jumped in to help and were able to pull the boy to safety and restrained the suspect until police got there.
“He was crying. He was crying. Saying, 'I miss my family. I miss my family,'” said Villanueva.
The father said he originally sympathized with the suspect and didn’t want to press charges.
“Because my human side said this guy, he was missing his child,” said Villanueva.
But now he says his son is traumatized.
“He says. ‘Pa I don’t want to go back to Newport anymore. There are bad people on the streets. I don’t want to go back over there. Please don’t take me over there,” said Villanueva.
Villanueva is a new deli partner at Newport Quick Stop Liquor and Deli.
The family opened the restaurant about a week ago, they own another restaurant in Ocean Beach. This is their livelihood, and they plan to spend a lot of time there.
“He was crying. And then I feel so bad for him. I feel so bad. I feel terrified when I saw somebody taking my kid,” said Villanueva.
CBS 8 reached out to San Diego Police to find out more information about the investigation but the Western Division has not responded to our request for more information.
“I want the people that come to the store, they feel secure,” said Villanueva.
He shared his assigned case number given by police, and according to Villanueva, the suspect's name is, Christopher Higginbotham.
CBS 8 found a 2018 Crime Stoppers issued for the suspect with the same birthdate. The wanted fugitive was captured with a history of felony convictions involving assault with a deadly weapon. Jail records show Higginbotham is currently not in custody.
Villanueva confirms this is the same man who tried to kidnap his son and now he wants him off the street and OB to be safe a place.
“Today was my kid, tomorrow can be someone else kid. So that’s why I’m pressing the charges,” said Villanueva.
If you have any information about the case please call police at (619-531-2000.