Teh One Who Knocks
10-17-2013, 11:11 AM
By NBC 10 News
Warwick police said Wednesday that a 13-year-old boy did the right thing by reporting what he thought was a suspicious person, but in the end allegations of an attempted abduction were unfounded.
A 13-year-old boy who was skateboarding with friends Friday on Wellington Avenue said he was approached by a man in a gray van claiming to look for a lost cat. The boy's mother said the man offered the boy candy and told him to get in the van.
But police said in a news release that "there was no attempt to entice, lure or abduct the 13-year-old male involved."
Police said the man really was looking for his missing cat.
Police tracked down the man, who lives in the neighborhood, and asked him about the allegations. Investigators said he told them he asked several people in the area of City Park if they'd seen his pet, which had run away.
Officers commended the teen for his actions and using his instincts to report what he thought was a suspicious person.
"Because of the 13-year-old's actions the Warwick Police were able to investigate the incident and determine there was no nefarious intent on the part of the individual, calming neighbor's fears," police said.
The boy's mother told NBC 10 that her son stands by his version of events.
Warwick police said Wednesday that a 13-year-old boy did the right thing by reporting what he thought was a suspicious person, but in the end allegations of an attempted abduction were unfounded.
A 13-year-old boy who was skateboarding with friends Friday on Wellington Avenue said he was approached by a man in a gray van claiming to look for a lost cat. The boy's mother said the man offered the boy candy and told him to get in the van.
But police said in a news release that "there was no attempt to entice, lure or abduct the 13-year-old male involved."
Police said the man really was looking for his missing cat.
Police tracked down the man, who lives in the neighborhood, and asked him about the allegations. Investigators said he told them he asked several people in the area of City Park if they'd seen his pet, which had run away.
Officers commended the teen for his actions and using his instincts to report what he thought was a suspicious person.
"Because of the 13-year-old's actions the Warwick Police were able to investigate the incident and determine there was no nefarious intent on the part of the individual, calming neighbor's fears," police said.
The boy's mother told NBC 10 that her son stands by his version of events.