A 19-year-old woman told police a man assaulted and attempted to abduct her outside of the CVS drugstore at the Nittany Mall yesterday.

It was not clear by press time if the woman is a Penn State student.

According to a press release by the State College Police Department, the woman told police she was walking to her car through the parking lot near the main entrance of the mall at 5:35 p.m. when a man grabbed her. He allegedly tried to push her into a tan late-model minivan that was parked in the lot and had its side door open.

The woman told police she struggled and was able to escape, according to the press release.

According to the press release, the man is described as possibly middle-eastern in his 50s or 60s with a pronounced stomach, gray beard and glasses. He is about 6 feet tall and has a medium build, according to the press release.

The woman told police the man spoke in a foreign language, according to the press release.

State College police declined to release any further information about the incident last night.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 234-7150.

A Nittany Mall security officer would not comment and directed all calls to State College police.

Nittany Mall is about a nine-minute drive from the Penn State campus.