St. Paul Police: 6 Luring Incidents In 2 Weeks
ST. PAUL (WCCO) -- Police in St. Paul say they're looking into the sixth report of an attempted kidnapping in just the past two weeks. The latest one happened Thursday night around 6:15 p.m.
Police say a 12-year-old girl told them a man approached her on Syndicate Street between Portland and Summit Avenues. She said the man, who was driving a "boxy" white van or station wagon, drove up alongside her and asked her if she wanted some money. She said "no" and continued to bike. The man eventually drove off after she biked to a nearby grocery store.
In the first incident, a 16-year-old girl told police that at about noon on Oct. 24, she was walking in the area of East 7th Street and Maria Avenue when a car pulled up and two men got out. One asked where she was going and the other grabbed her arms. She was able to pull away and run home without being hurt.
She said the men were in a silver car with four doors. Its left rear window was missing and replaced with plastic. She described her attackers as two black males, 27 or 28 years old and 6 feet tall. One wore a red hooded sweatshirt and the other a white T-shirt.
The second incident happened around 7:15 a.m. on Oct. 27 near Arundel Street and Charles Avenue.
A 12-year-old girl said a man in a dark green van drove up and offered her a ride. She said he got out of the van and asked her again to get in. She ran away and said she didn't see a weapon.
That man is described as being black, around 50 years old, and had a beard. He was wearing faded baggy jeans and a faded baseball cap. The van is described as a newer looking dark green van with a sloping front and a humped or round back.
The third incident happened on Oct. 27 at 6 p.m. on the intersection of Thomas and Western Avenues. The victim had just bought candy at the W&T Market. Security footage showed her talking to someone in a white SUV.
The victim told police a man drove up to her, asked for directions and then offered her a ride. He pointed a handgun at her when she refused to get in. She ran away.
Police describe that man as a black man, 40 to 50 years old with a moustache. He was wearing black jeans, glasses and a baseball cap. His vehicle is described as an older model, white SUV with slightly tinted windows. The victim said the car was dirty. They believe that it may have been a Chevy Blazer or and Oldsmobile Bravada.
The fourth incident happened on the morning of Oct. 29 when a 13-year-old girl was waiting for a bus on East Baker Street and South Oakdale Avenue. She said a man in a older white van stopped nearby and asked her if she wanted to wait inside his van until the bus arrived. She didn't answer and he drove away.
The man was described as 45 years of age, black, dark skinned, balding with hair on the sides of his head, wearing wire rimmed glasses. There was also a Hispanic female in the passenger seat of the van.
The fifth incident happened on Oct. 30 near 3rd Street and Forrest Avenue. A 14-year-old girl told police that she was walking when a white van stopped. The male driver motioned with his finger for the girl to approach the van. The girl ran away. The man is described as a white and wearing a yellow jacket.
Police don't know if they are all connected. They're spread out across the city. They have several vehicle descriptions and several descriptions of the men driving them. They say that the bottom line is parents should talk to their kids about being safe.
Anyone with information about any of the incidents should call 911 or the St. Paul Police Department at 651-291-1111.
