KEY POINTS:
The man who tried to force a terrified 10-year-old girl into his car was probably a sexual predator who had planned an attack, police warned last night.
Detectives are hunting a Caucasian man in his late 30s to early 40s after local resident Theo Hoffman's intervention helped the girl to fight off the offender yesterday in Stanmore Bay on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula.
The girl, known only by her first name Katie, said the offender told her she would be killed if she did not get into his four-wheel-drive vehicle.
Detective Mark Palma of Orewa CIB said there was a fear the offender would seek out another target.
"We think to a large extent it is quite premeditated," Mr Palma said.
"He's very much a predator and the motives behind his abduction of this girl, or attempted abduction of this girl, are very sinister. He certainly doesn't appear to have been doing it for reward as such, so it's not a kidnapping, it's something more sinister than that."
Mr Hoffman, a father of five, told how the kidnapper tried to force the screaming youngster into his car.
The girl screamed for help as she kicked at her attacker's four-wheel-drive vehicle door when he grabbed her.
Mr Hoffman, a scaffolding installer, heard the screams and shouted at the attacker, who fled the scene at Waiora Rd, Whangaparoa about 2 pm on Tuesday. Police later described Mr Hoffman's actions as "heroic".
Mr Hoffman, 47, said he was visiting a friend when he pulled up in his small bus about 25m away and heard screams.
"They were out of the ordinary, screaming noises of someone in terror and needing help."
He approached the four-wheel-drive, which was parked on the wrong side of the road, when he saw Katie being attacked.
"I thought at first it was just someone arguing with, maybe, the family, and I saw the girl struggling and she was being pushed into the vehicle.
"I yelled out, 'What's going on?' and the driver ... let the girl go and she fell backwards onto the footpath. I yelled out to the girl, 'Are you all right?' and she said, 'No this person wants me in the vehicle and he said if I didn't get in he'd kill me.' She was crying out for her mum."
Mr Hoffman said he made sure Katie was okay before chasing the man in his bus but he ran out of diesel.
Mr Hoffman walked back to his friend's house and said he was so shocked that he did not report the incident until his friend called him to say police had been in the area looking for more information. He spoke with detectives yesterday.
"I would have done it for anyone, you know, I don't feel like I'm a hero for doing it. I'm just glad I could help, you know, and stop a worse situation happening. I would do that for anybody, especially a young person in that situation. I wouldn't wish that upon any parent."
He said he was separated and had not seen his children since the attack but would speak with them about it.
Mr Palma said police believed Mr Hoffman's actions stopped the attack.
"It's just that decision to intervene that in a sense is quite heroic and just good common sense ... He's seen something that doesn't look quite right and ... made that decision."
Police had received more than 10 calls on the case yesterday.
Wanted
The offender
* Male Caucasian, aged late 30s or early 40s. Black hair, with facial hair on his chin and about 180cm to 185cm in height. He was wearing jeans and a black jacket with white writing on its sleeves.
The vehicle
* Black or dark-coloured 4WD with a distinctive red "silky" seat cover in the Stanmore Bay area on Tuesday afternoon.
