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9-year-old escapes abduction
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by Mindy Aguon, KUAM News
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
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It's a parent's worst nightmare: sending a child off to school only to later learn they've been kidnapped. For the parents of a 9-year-old girl, the nightmare came true this morning, but the minor fortunately got away unharmed. Now, police are on the lookout for the man involved in this morning's abduction in Tumon.
What's normally a routine walk up Happy Landing Road in Tumon to make it in time for the school bus turned into a traumatic and shocking experience for one local student. Guam Police Department Tumon-Tamuning Precinct Lieutenant Tim Santos says a man was hiding in the jungle when he approached the girl and dragged her at knifepoint into his vehicle parked nearby. "Basically he made threats at knifepoint with her," he explained, also saying, "He used that as a tool to get her in a vehicle. Again she was heading toward a bus stop area when this occurred this morning."
As the suspect made a right turn onto Marine Corps Drive, he apparently had a change of heart as he let the panic-stricken girl out of his car by GTA in Upper Tumon. Police were immediately notified when the girl ran for help. "If anybody this morning around that timeframe had seen a red Honda Prelude, or a red sedan that sort of looks like that type of description heading north toward Micronesia Mall from the Upper Tumon Burger King on up," he said.
While officers made chase, the suspect got away weaving through morning traffic. For now, police are on the hunt for the man described as Caucasian, with dark hair and wearing a black shirt and blue shorts, driving a red sedan. Lieutenant Santos says time is of the essence. "This type of crime is something that you just can't turn your head and look away from. This was something do we have a sexual predator on our hands. Has this guy been stalking minors? We don't know. We want to find this guy and question him," he said sternly.
This morning's abduction has police alerting parents to be cautious, especially those who don't transport their children to school. Tumon-Tamuning Precinct Sergeant Rocky Anciano told KUAM News, "Because of this we're asking the parents if their kids are taking the bus to school that they do not walk alone and if the parents can walk them to the bus stop until they get on the bus, and even after school pick up them after school. We do have somebody out there that we need to find so we want to play it safe."
If you can't make it to the bus stop with your child, police are urging you to make sure your child uses the buddy system. As well parents should make sure that their children know not to talk to strangers.
Police are looking for a woman who apparently spoke to the girl after she got out of the vehicle; officers are asking that woman to come forward to assist with the investigation. Anyone with any information about this incident is asked to contact police immediately at 472-8911 or the Tumon-Tamuning Precinct at 649-6330.
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