Authorities in Colorado say a man is in custody on suspicion of attempted kidnapping following an incident earlier this week.

According to KMGH, the suspect approached an 11-year-old girl walking away from her bus stop on Thursday afternoon.

Police did not name the man, but said he is in his late 30s and did not know the young girl.

He allegedly grabbed the victim and put his hand over her mouth, but she fought back by biting him and screaming for help.

Aurora Police Chief Nick Metz praised the girl’s reaction, crediting her willingness to fight back with possibly saving her life.

“This extraordinary young lady did what she needed to do to get away,” he said.

According to Metz, the girl provided an example for people of any age.

“That’s the tip I would give to anybody,” he said. “If you face a situation like this, adult or a child, the best thing you can do is fight and fight hard. Scream and scream loud.”

His identity and mugshot have not been released due to the sensitive nature of the investigation, but law enforcement released an image taken from area surveillance footage showing an apparent person of interest.

As of the latest reports available, the man was in custody and faces criminal charges including second-degree attempted unlawful sexual contact and second-degree attempted kidnapping.

[Featured image: Aurora Police Department]