TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) – A recent abduction attempt in Daviess County has prompted local authorities to raise awareness in the Wabash Valley.
On September 21 a Daviess County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to the attempt on Jefferson Street in Washington.
This is the third abduction attempt in five months across the Wabash Valley, authorities do not have reason to believe they are connected.
The last two attempts took place within weeks of each other in April.
On April 3 a girl reported to police that she was taken from her yard in the Marion Heights area in West Terre Haute by a 20 year old man.
She told police she was taken to a wooded area where she claims he tried to sexually assault her.
On April 23 in Knox County, authorities said a man tried to abduct a child from the Oubache Trails Park playground.
“Talk to your children about talking to strangers,” said Terre Haute Police Department Public Information Officer Ryan Adamson. “More specifically not getting into vehicles with strangers.”
The three cases are still under investigation, and law enforcement has encouraged people be vigilant and understand this could happen to anyone at any time.
“You always have to pay attention to your surroundings. Whether you’re at a local store,” explained Adamson. “Whether you’re at college or whether you’re in high school. Pay attention to your surroundings and pay attention to whose around you.”
Most importantly, law enforcement has asked that people call the police if they see suspicious activity.
“If you see something, say something. If you see something report it,” Adamson said. “It’s our job as the police to show up and decide if there’s something wrong or not.”
According to Adamson some cases of abduction even begin online, he went on to explain parents to stay up to date on their child’s social media.
“Another thing parents can do that is very important, monitor their social media. Look, sex trafficking runs rampant on social media platforms. Snapchat, Facebook, you name it there’s predators out there that prey on children,” he explained. “And they try to make their accounts look innocent but they’re not. So parents are doing themselves and their children, more importantly, a disservice if they’re not paying attention to their social media accounts.”
