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The parents of a 5-year-old boy made the right decision to alert police when a friend scared off a woman who was taking pictures of their child Oct. 9 at Old Fort Park, according to local authorities.
“While there is no indication that this reported incident was an attempted kidnapping, suspicious behavior such as [unidentified] adults taking pictures of children should be reported to police immediately,” said Kyle Evans, public information officer for the Murfreesboro Police Department.
“Report suspicious behavior immediately,” he said. “Do not wait until the person has left or until a child is kidnapped.”
Members of the Abundant Life in Christ Ministries were enjoying an annual picnic when Judy Raines said she noticed a woman whom she did not know and “has never seen before” approach the boy.
“She motioned to him, and she said something,” said Raines, who lives in Rockvale. “He started walking toward her, and she pulled out a camera and took two pictures. The closer she got to him as she took pictures – I took off. She did not seem scared. She acted like she was doing something normal, until she noticed me. Then she seemed scared.”
Raines said what startled her most was that it seemed as though she was trying to lure him away from the group by taking his picture.
According to the incident report filed by Officer Robert Holloway, Raines yelled the boy’s name to get his attention. As Raines was making her way toward the boy, it appeared as though the woman “bent down to pick [the child] up.” When she saw the stranger reach for the boy, she yelled at the woman, who then ran away.
“He got scared when she approached him,” Raines said. “When she saw me coming, she ran off. She got behind a couple of big trees. He turned around to come to me and got his shoe caught up in something, and tripped and fell. He has a speech problem, so he could not describe everything well. He was crying – I do not know what she said, but it scared him.”
The Caucasian woman had blonde hair, weighed an estimated 150 pounds, and looked to be about 5 feet 4 inches tall. She was wearing a pink hoodie and khaki pants, Raines said.
The woman fled only moments before Holloway was flagged down while on patrol, but he was unable to “make contact with the suspect during [the] investigation,” according to the report.
“While this person’s actions appear to be suspicious in nature, there could be a reasonable explanation for what occurred,” Evans said. “On the other hand, it could have resulted in a kidnapping.”
Child abductions and kidnappings are extremely rare. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, an average of 115 “stereotypical kidnappings” occur annually nationwide. Stereotypical kidnappings are defined as abductions perpetrated by a stranger or acquaintance.
Evans said he could not recall “any similar instances in recent memory at Old Fort Park.” But, he said parents should still avoid distractions while watching their children and speak with them about the dangers of talking to strangers.
“This is the first time I have seen anything like this at the park,” Raines said. “But, I am glad – and so were [the boy’s] parents – that I was watching. We are all thankful that no one was injured, and he went home safe and sound.” |
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