UPLAND BOROUGH -
"Her first reaction was to run and when she noticed the man was chasing her she ran even faster."
Geneva Belgrave says she's proud of her 10-year-old daughter after the little girl escaped from a man police say tried to abduct her and then helped investigators track the suspect down.
"She gave them a perfect description of the man and the car, what he had on, what he looked like...to a tee," Belgrave told FOX 29's Dave Schratwieser.
Belgrave spoke exclusively to FOX 29 after Upland Borough Police arrested 37-year-old school bus driver Gregory Cornell of Chester.
Investigators say he chased the little girl down the 200 block of Ninth Street Sunday afternoon. She got away.
Minutes later, police say Cornell was stopped in his car nearby and positively identified by the victim. He was arrested with over 150 bags of heroin, crack cocaine, cash and a sex toy in his car.
"I'm very proud of her. One of her favorite shows is America's Most Wanted," Belgrave said. "I thank God that nothing happened to her."
"Glad they caught this guy," said neighbor Jim Redden.
"Upland Police Department, good job, tell them they did a good job," another neighbor told FOX 29.
Makaishia Burch lives just two blocks away from where the attempted abduction occurred. She has a 10-year-old daughter of her own.
"It's scary, and she doesn't look like the typical 10 year old, which doesn't help the matter, so I'm real leary about situations like that," Burch said.
Police say Cornell drives a bus for the Penn-Delco School District, something that bothered neighbors here even more.
"They should be screening these guys better than to have them out here driving these kids around," Burch said.
"What are they doing. They need to be checking them better For real," neighbor Deborah Kowlaski.
"It's sad, it's disgusting. I'm glad he's caught," Belgrave added.
Cornell was charged with attempted abduction and ordered held on $150,000 bail.
In a statement issued by the school district, a spokesperson says the district was aware of the charges filed against one of its bus drivers. District officials say the driver has been suspended and relieved of duty.
"The district stands ready to support law enforcement authorities in their investigation as needed," the statement read.
The district does not believe that any of the alleged activities occurred during hours in which the driver was working for the district.
Gregory Cornell, 37, of Chester is accused by police of attempting to abduct a young girl in Upland. (Upland Borough Police Department)
