From RCIPS

An investigative team has been established to investigate the report of an attempted abduction of a child on Saturday, 10 March in West Bay. This report is being evaluated in the context of two other reports received where a man was observed behaving in a suspicious manner near children. In neither of these reports was a child reported to have been approached or touched, unlike the incident on Saturday.

“We do not know that these incidents are linked, but the incident on Saturday is very serious and we must warn the community that we believe a sexual predator may be at large, mostly likely in West Bay,” said Commissioner of Police Derek Byrne. “Children are the most vulnerable members of society and deserve everything we can do together to keep them safe, and our trained detectives in MASH are ensuring all safeguarding measures are in place for the child involved.”

Detectives and Community Officers in West Bay welcome any assistance the public can provide. Anyone with any information is asked to call the West Bay Police Station at 949-3999.

Original story published March 11 2018

Attempted Child Abduction in West Bay, 10 March

Around 4PM yesterday, 10 March, police were dispatched by the 9-1-1 Communication Center to a report of a possible child abduction in West Bay.

The incident took place on Up the Hill Road in West Bay where a man took a 7-year-old girl from an area of Up the Hill Road. The child strenuously resisted and got away from the man, who was a stranger to her, and ran until she found an adult. The child was not physically harmed in the incident.

The man is described as tall with dark brown skin, wearing a black hoodie and a black mask with holes for the eyes. He was also described as having long yellow fingernails.

The police are urging the public to be on the lookout for anyone fitting this description or behaving suspiciously in areas frequented by children, and to call Police if seen. Police are also urging parents and caregivers be mindful where children are at all times when playing outdoors and travelling with them to public places.

The incident is under a police investigation.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the M.A.S.H Unit at 649-6000. Anonymous tips can be provided directly to the RCIPS via our Confidential Tip Line at 949-7777 or via the Miami-based call centre of Crime Stoppers at 800-8477(TIPS), or online at the link: https://www.tipsubmit.com/WebTips.aspx?AgencyID=681

NOTE: .At the request of the RCIPS we have removed from the above the eye colour from the description.

IMAGE: Pedersen Law Offic