 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
Sheriff's investigators in two counties were working to identify suspects in three reported cases of attempted abductions.
The latest case was reported Monday morning in Walnut Grove. An 11-year-old girl told police a man approached her as she walked into the West End Grocery.
"She pulled away," the girl's mother, who did not want to be identified, said. "He grabbed her arm again and said, 'Come on, I've got a new magic trick I want to show you.' She pulled again, and that time, she got away from him," the mother added.
Etowah County Investigator Kevin Grant said parents and children should all be aware of the danger. "Keep an eye on your children," Grant warned. "Know where they're at. Don't let them get too far from you out of eyesight."
The mother of the 11-year-old was only a few yards away from her daughter when the man approched her. The girl was making a quick trip into the store to get something to eat before school.
Authorities worked to see if the Etowah County case could be connected to two recent cases in Blount County. In all three cases, the suspect was believed to have driven a red truck away from the sites of the attempted abductions.
However, Blount County Investigator Terry Sherbert said Thursday it appears the suspect in the Blount County cases is probably not the same man who tried to abduct the girl in Walnut Grove.
Sherbert released surveillance images of the Blount County suspect. The images show a man around six feet tall. He appears to be in his 20's, with a slightly receding hairline.
The images were captured by surveillance cameras at the Oneonta Wal-Mart March 19th. Sherbert said the man had tried to persuade a girl to come to his truck and give him directions. The girl sensed something was wrong and did not follow him.
On the same day, authorities believe the same man forcibly removed an 18-year-old female from her car outside a chuch in the Rosa community. In that case, the suspect allegedly told the woman her car had a flat tire. Sherbert said when the woman would not get out of her parked car, the man reached in through the car's window and pulled her out. The woman was able to fight off the attack and got away without physical harm.
Sherbert hoped someone would recognize the man from the photos and call the Blount County Sheriff's Office.
In the Etowah County case, deputies encourage anyone with information to call the Etowah County Sheriff's Office.
Also, tips can be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers by calling (205) 254-7777. Encrypted tips can be submitted online by logging on to www.birminghamcrimestoppers.org. Crime Stoppers will pay a cash reward to the first anonymous tipster whose information leads to an arrest in either case.
"This individual is a predator," Sherbert warned. "Someone that we need off the streets and in jail."
ABC 33/40 News to leave comments on news stories.