Sister helps stop attempted abduction of 4-year-old girl at Dean Park in Manassas
Sister helps stop attempted abduction of 4-year-old girl at Dean Park in Manassas
Police in Northern Virginia are searching for two men accused of trying to abduct a 4-year-old girl at a city park, an attempt authorities say was thwarted by the quick actions of the child’s older sister.
MANASSAS, VA. - Police in Northern Virginia are searching for two men accused of trying to abduct a 4-year-old girl at a city park, an attempt authorities say was thwarted by the quick actions of the child’s older sister.
What we know:
The incident happened Monday evening at Dean Park in Manassas. According to Manassas City Police, the girl's mother reported shortly before 9 p.m. that two men approached her 4-year-old daughter near the park's soccer fields and attempted to lure her with candy.
Police said the child's 6-year-old sister witnessed the encounter and immediately began yelling for her mother, drawing attention to the situation and preventing the men from taking the girl.
Responding officers later encountered a man who matched the description of one of the suspects. Police obtained a body-camera image of the individual during the encounter, but authorities said he fled the area on an electric bicycle, traveling down Winters Branch Trail before officers could detain him.
What they're saying:
The attempted abduction has shaken regular visitors to the park.
"It’s weird because I know the neighborhood is safe," park-goer Francoise Mezegne said. "Very uncomfortable because I didn’t expect that from this neighborhood."
Damarcus Rivers, who coaches youth sports at the park, said the incident is concerning for families in the community.
"I coach out here, so for me, it’s kind of like, I got little young kids out here in the third grade on these fields on Saturday mornings," Rivers said. "And now that I know that, it’s really sad to hear that’s happening in this community."
Police said one suspect was wearing all black and a face mask, while the second suspect was dressed in all white. No additional descriptions have been released.
What you can do:
Investigators are asking residents who live near Dean Park to review footage from home security cameras for any images of the suspects before or after the incident.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Manassas City Police.
The Source: Information from FOX 5 D.C. reporting.