Stranger Danger: Man With Gun Tries To Abduct Boy At Bus Stop
PONTIAC (WWJ) - Police are warning residents in Pontiac to take caution after someone tried to kidnap an 11-year-old boy at gunpoint.
Police say the incident happened around 4:40 p.m. Wednesday near Motor Street and W. Wilson Avenue.
According to police, the boy had just gotten off the school bus when he was approached by a man who grabbed his arm and produced a handgun in his other hand. The man then told the child to "go with him," police said.
The boy was able to break free and run away with the suspect on his heels. Police say the child was able to make it to the safety of his home and the suspect fled in an unknown direction.
Police say the boy didn't know or recognize the suspect and didn't get a look at his face, so a composite can't be drawn. Deputies canvassed the neighborhood, however, and talked to two neighbors who confirmed that a person matching the suspect's description was walking in the area approximately two hours prior to this incident.
Oakland Sheriff Mike Bouchard says this is a good time for parents to talk with their kids about dangers in general.
"I mean, obviously stranger danger is a word we've heard a lot, but it's not just strangers," Bouchard said. We know that since they're having that conversation, sometimes, what constitutes as stranger? Could be somebody down the block they've seen, they've met with their parents, who invites them into their house? Things like that."
The suspect is described as a black male with a dark complexion, approximately 20-years-old with a thin build. At the time, he was wearing a white sleeveless t-shirt and blue jeans.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Oakland County Sheriff's Office at 248-858-4911 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP. A $1,000 cash reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest.
