By Carlos Santos, publisher
A man attempted to abduct a child Friday (Sept. 7) at around 7 a.m. as the boy was walking toward a school bus stop, according to a press release from the Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Office.
The Fluvanna County Emergency Communications Center received a call from a parent who said that an unknown white male with a beard had grabbed her child and attempted to pull him into a black sedan, according to the press release.
The child was able to break free and fled to his home. This incident occurred in the 800 block of Jefferson Drive inside the Lake Monticello community.
Lake Monticello Police and the Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area to investigate but were unable to locate the suspect vehicle in the area. The investigation is ongoing.
The sheriff’s office released an update Monday (Sept. 10) stating that the suspect vehicle may be a dark-colored sedan with white stripes, dark windows, peeling paint on the door and possibly spoked-style wheels.
According to a Facebook post by the mother, the man asked the boy if he “wanted to go somewhere with him.” When the boy refused, the man grabbed his wrist and tried to pull him into his car. The boy “kneed” the man in the stomach and ran. The man followed in his car but the boy managed to escape.
Anyone who may have seen this incident or noticed any person or vehicle matching that description in the Lake Monticello area during the morning hours of Sept. 7 is asked to call Investigator Brandon Bryant with the Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Office at 434-589-8211.
The sheriff’s office and the Lake Monticello police will be conducting extra patrols in the area around bus time for an extended period of time to help ensure the safety of the children getting off the bus, according to the release.
