The Battle Creek Police Department is investigating a reported attempted kidnapping that occurred Friday, July 17, near N. Wabash Avenue and Capital Avenue NE.
Officers were dispatched to the area about 8:30 a.m. after a caller reported a suspicious encounter involving her young children. According to the report, children were playing on a screened-in porch of their residence when a man approached and attempted to get a 5-year-old child to come outside, telling the child he wanted her to come with him.
The child’s mother heard a male voice and went to the porch, where she saw a Black man flee on foot. A white SUV in the area also left at a high rate of speed. The caller reported that an older white man inside the vehicle was taking photos. Police said the individual who approached the children did not enter the vehicle and ran in the opposite direction. It is not known at this time whether the vehicle is connected to the incident.
The caller also reported a prior encounter the previous week in which the same suspect allegedly chased her and her child while they were walking to a bus stop.
This incident is being actively investigated by the Battle Creek Police Department Detective Bureau. No further details are available at this time.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Battle Creek Police Department at (269) 781-0911 or submit an anonymous tip through Silent Observer at (269) 964-3888.
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Battle Creek police probe attempted child abduction
Reporting by Liz Shepard, Battle Creek Enquirer / Battle Creek Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Liz Shepard, Battle Creek Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
