THOMAS COUNTY—On Tuesday, the Thomas County Sheriff's Office and the Colby Police Department both received reports of an attempted abduction of two juvenile girls playing together in Colby, according to a media release from the sheriff's department.
Information gathered from the reporting parties indicates that on Tuesday evening between 4 and 6:30 p.m., a white male driving a black and red SUV, possibly an early 2000's model Suburban, approached two two young girls in the area of 800 South Garfield and 500 West Ash.
The vehicle was described as having a Kansas License plate with unknown digits. The perpetrator was described as a white male about 30 years old with blue eyes and no visible facial hair. The male was wearing a black hoodie with the hood up, blue or dark blue jeans, and a partial face covering.
According to reports and evidence gathered, the male attempted to lure the young girls into his vehicle to take them for ice cream. As the juvenile ran away, the suspect followed them eastbound in his vehicle for about two blocks toward a park in the 700 block of South Mission Ridge.
Witnesses alleged the suspect watched where the juveniles went and then quickly left the area and headed north on Mission Ridge. It is believed the male entered the area in his vehicle off Pine Street through an alley and potentially utilized alleys to exit the residential area.
The investigation is currently ongoing. As a result, Thomas County will be increasing the presence of law enforcement personnel in residential areas and areas frequented by younger kids in our community.
Parents and guardians, it is extremely important to have discussions with your children about the dangers of speaking with strangers and your child's need to be vigilant.
It is common for child predators to find ways to relate to children and quickly gain their trust. A predator may mention knowing a child's guardians or siblings. They may state they were told to pick them up and give them a ride or take them home.
Please take the time to speak to your children about what to do in these situations, as they can be very dangerous. Children should know the risks posed by a 'friendly' stranger and not go with anyone they do not know.
Without the quick thinking of these young individuals, this situation could very well have been a tragedy. If you see anything suspicious in your community, if your children report anything out of the ordinary or simply something they feel concerned about, please contact the Colby Police Department at 785-460-4460 or the Thomas County Sheriff's Office at 785-460- 4570.
Even seemingly minor or insignificant information could lead to or prevent a similar tragedy from occurring.