Oct 12, 2008 8:30 pm US/Central
Attempted Child Abduction Has Parents On Alert
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Detectives at Area One headquarters hope someone recognizes the suspect from a composite sketch on an attempted child abduction flyer.
When CBS 2 showed parents the flyer, they were alarmed, CBS 2's Pamela Jones reports.
Police say a child was nearly snatched off a Marquette Park street Saturday.
"It's terrifying, sometimes, you know," said mother Isabel Aleman. "Because you could be right here and just turn around for one second and they're gone."
Aleman is the mother of a 5-year-old and she just heard that police are looking for a man who tried to abduct another little boy in their neighborhood.
Police describe the suspect as a white male, about 30-35 years-old, 5'10'', 190 pounds with black spiked hair. He was wearing a gray T-shirt, camouflage pants and black boots. Detectives say he was riding in a silver or gray Dodge van with short black stripes on the body panel.
Authorities say he had a woman driving. She is described as a white female, also 30-35 years in age with freckles. She has a slim build, and black hair combed into a ponytail. She was wearing a blue T-shirt.
Police say they pulled up to a child in an alley in the 6400 block of South Troy at about 5:30 p.m.
Police say the passenger grabbed the boy by the leg and tried to drag him inside the van. When the boy ran away, the van followed him.
Investigators say the boy ran home.
Kids play in the area, out of immediate reach of their parents all the time. And residents say while this latest crime concerns them, it doesn't surprise them.
"There was already instances where children, freshmen getting killed just coming home from school -- getting beat up coming home from school. So, you know, this whole neighborhood is really getting out of control," said mother Betty Garcia.
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Video: CBS 2's Picks To Click
