At about 7 a.m. Thursday, the boy was getting ready for school and went out to get the newspaper in the 8700 block of South Princeton.
"Someone came up behind him, grabbed his mouth where he couldn't holler and just said, 'Come on, you're going with me,' ... He fought and kicked until he got away from him," said the boy's grandfather.
The suspect got away, running east over the nearby railroad tracks.
The man is described as being between 25 and 35 years old, about 6 feet tall, weighs between 210 and 250 pounds and has a goatee-style beard.
At the time of the attempted abduction he was wearing a green coat, red hoodie and black high-top Converse gym shoes with red zippers.
"We just want people to know that there is a predator around this area and to be looking out for him. And try to watch your kids. Make sure they're not outside by themselves," the grandfather said.