Crime & Safety

Fenton Parents Concerned About Recent Possible Abduction Attempts

Abduction attempt reported in Linden on Thursday, while police said two men approached two young girls in Fenton in May,

Fenton parents are urging others to keep an extra close eye on their children after another possible attempted abduction was reported in Linden on Thursday.

“People need to keep out an eye on kids who are out and about without parents," said Kathleen Davis, Fenton mother of a 4-year-old. "It is surprising that it's happening in this area. There seems to be rash of it."

The Fenton Press reported Thursday that Linden Police are searching for a man who allegedly attempted to abduct an 8-year-old boy out of his front yard Thursday morning. The article stated the boy was playing in the front yard of his house on Murphy Street, near North Bridge Street, at about 9:45 a.m. when he heard a door slam and the boy was grabbed from behind by a man. The boy started screaming for help, according to the Fenton Press, and kicked the suspect, who then dropped the boy and left.

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The Fenton Press stated the suspect is described as 19 to 30 years old and 6 feet tall. He has dark hair and was wearing black shorts and a blue T-shirt and was driving a tan/brownish Suburban/Yukon-type vehicle and left in an unknown direction.

This is possibly the second alleged abduction attempt in the area in the last two weeks.

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On May 31, that police said two men approached two young girls near .

Fenton Police Chief Rick Aro said two young girls were playing with a scooter in front of the school around 7 p.m. May 28 when the girls reported the vehicle then pulled up on the grass near them and two males in black T-shirts got out of the vehicle and began chasing them.

The girls reported they ran home and went inside to tell their parents about the situation. The father told police that he came out of the residence and observed two males running toward the vehicle. They initially picked up the scooter and tried to load it into the vehicle, he reported, but then left it and fled the scene.

Initially, Aro said police thought the suspects were pursuing the girls, but after watching the video footage, it is unclear whether they targeted the girls or the scooter.

"It's very concerning. It's very scary," said Fenton parent Angela Frazee. "I have seven children at home and to have them play outside makes me very uncomfortable. It's too bad you can't play in your own yard and feel safe."

Frazee thinks there should be extra police patrols and days when many children are outside.

"I think our tax dollars could pay for that," she said. "It can happen anywhere."


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