Watch CBS News

Austin On Alert After Attempted Abductions

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago police are warning children not to talk to strangers after a pair of attempted abductions in the Austin neighborhood. CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker reports.

The first happened last Monday night near LeClaire and Maypole.

Police say a 13-year-old boy was walking home from school when a black car pulled up beside him.

The driver told him he knew his mother and to get in the car. The suspects were two black men, one with dread locks, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black jeans.

When the boy refused, the suspect grabbed him around the neck and tried to drag him into the car.

The boy managed to run away.

Two days later, 10-year-old boy was walking home from John Hay Community Academy when a suspect grabbed the boy by the hood of his sweatshirt in the 5100 block of North Iowa. The suspect was described as a black male, 20 to 30 years old, approximately 5'10 to 6'00, medium weight, with short black hair and a small mustache.

The boy screamed for help and the suspect ran off.

Aaisha Harris is among the parents disturbed that a stranger tried to abduct a student from John Hay grade school.

"I'm walking my son to school and picking him up every day," she said.

Principal of John Hay Wayne Williams said school officials are doing their best to make sure students are safe.

"We have people calling letting them know, yeah they got here safely, you know, and letting them know they're leaving at this time and they should be home in 5 minutes."

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.