Attempted Abduction Outside A Bronx School Rattles Community
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Parents were on edge Thursday following a report of an attempted abduction outside of a Bronx elementary school.
An 8-year-old girl said a man tried to lure her away from P.S. 33 on Jerome Avenue near Fordham Road around 8 a.m., 1010 WINS' Carol D'Auria reported.
The third-grader ran away from the man and inside the school to get help, D'Auria reported. Detectives then canvassed the area looking for witnesses, and zeroing in on a couple of sidewalk security cameras, including one in front of the school, CBS 2's John Slattery reported.
Attempted Abduction Reported Outside A Bronx School
The girl was with her two sisters, ages 8 and 12, at the time of the incident, but one said she wasn't aware of a problem, D'Auria reported.
Police said there is a video image of the girl talking to a man. Authorities released a surveillance of the suspect early Thursday evening.
The incident left many parents concerned.
"I can't believe this would ever happen," mother Valerie Mendoza said. "It could've easily happened to my daughter."
"It scares me because my daughter be going here in September. She's only 5," Nakia Matthews said.
Ernesto Mercado has a 7-year-old daughter. He said he bolted to the school to pull her out when he heard what happened.
"I rushed out of the house to pick her up. That's my little girl. Of course, if anyone snatches her and hurt her, I go crazy, 'cause that's my little girl," Mercado said.
Other parents told CBS 2's Slattery the attempted snatching of a child, strikes too close to home.
"You know what, it happens so often in this country, it shouldn't surprise you. But when it does happen, it does surprise you," Christian Guadelupe said.
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