Dad Foils Abduction Of Son, 10
A trip to Wal-Mart for school supplies turned frightening for a Newman Lake family this weekend when a stranger tried to walk out of the store with their 10-year-old son, Sheriff’s deputies reported.
The apparent abduction attempt is the second in less than a week in the Valley. Officials said, however, that the incidents don’t appear to be related.
Sunday’s incident involved a male suspect in his early 30s and a 10-year-old boy.
The attempted abduction on Aug. 25, which took place in the Spokane Valley Mall, involved two women in their late 30s and a 3-year-old girl. The toddler was not hurt, although her mother struck one of the potential abductors in the face before both strangers fled the mall.
On Sunday, the Newman Lake family was shopping in the Valley Wal-Mart store at 15727 E. Broadway. While in the men’s restroom, the 10-year-old noticed an unshaven man with a pony tail and mustache watching him and taking a long time to wash his hands. The boy’s father entered the restroom and also saw the stranger, sheriff’s deputies said.
The father and son left the restroom and began walking around the store with the rest of the family. The stranger approached the boy, who was walking a few steps behind, put his right arm around the child’s shoulder and turned him around to face the opposite direction. The stranger said “Come on,” and began to walk the child toward the store’s exit.
The father turned around, grabbed the suspect around the neck and pushed him to the ground, police said. The man got up and ran out the door. He drove off in a small red car, possibly a Honda, with green and white license plates.
The family described the suspect as a white male about 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, with dark hair pulled back in a pony tail. He appeared to be in his early 30s.
There have been no arrests. Anyone with information should call Crime Check at 456-2233.
Valley man bound, robbed
A Valley man returning home from work late Saturday was bound and robbed at gunpoint as he stepped out of his car, deputies said.
The man, who lives in the 16000 block of East Rich Avenue, was confronted by two young white men with a revolver after he drove into his garage about 11 p.m.
The robbers, who appeared to be in their late teens or early 20s, put the victim’s hands behind his back, bound them and demanded money. They rummaged through his car, taking his wallet, a burgundy briefcase and an undisclosed amount of cash, sheriff’s deputies reported. The men also stole their victim’s car keys before fleeing on foot.
No arrests have been made.
, DataTimes