Police searched Monday for a man who broke into a second-story apartment through an unlocked window and carried away a sleeping 9-year-old girl before abandoning her hours later in a neighborhood several miles away.
Officers found the disoriented, seriously injured girl going door-to-door shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday.
The girl and her two siblings live with their single mother, whom police said was not home at the time of the abduction. Authorities declined to provide the ages of the other children.
"At this time, we're just focusing on apprehending the bad guy," police Sgt. Wayne Ramaekers said.
The girl was hospitalized and her name was not released.
The abducted girl told police a man she didn't know carried her away and later dumped her from his car in another part of Riverside, located 60 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.
Police called a press conference for Tuesday to update the public on the investigation and cautioned residents to think about their security at all times.
"Unfortunately, we live in a world where we have to think of our safety and security, and that probably means keeping our doors and windows locked at night," police Lt. Guy Toussaint said.