Police still on lookout
for
would-be kidnapper
After a month-long search, police are still looking for an unidentified man who, on two occasions, tried to lure children into his car.
The suspect was believed to be last spotted Jan. 7 on Furrs Mill Road by a parent who was picking up her child from the school bus. Rockbridge County Sheriff's deputies responded to the call and patrolled the area for several hours. They did not find any sign of the man or his car, Sheriff Bob Day said.
Day said that the car matched the description of the blue sedan that was spotted last month.
On Dec. 12, the man approached one preteen girl on Spotswood Drive near Stonewall Jackson Cemetery. Eight days later, he stopped two different preteen girls on Lewis Street and this time offered them money to get into his car.
The girls ran away and flagged down an officer who then radioed all units. Police flooded the area without finding the would-be kidnapper.
In both cases, the girls were walking home from Lylburn Downing Middle School when the man approached them in his blue sedan.
Several more Lylburn Downing students then came forward saying that they too had been approached, apparently by the same man. However, according to Principal Rich Dowd, "One student thought that it was no big deal."
To increase school security, officers have been patrolling the area frequently. Lexington Police Lt. Bucky Miller urged students to practice smart safety habits and encouraged parents to warn their children about strangers.
"The sooner that you tell someone, an official, somebody at school, call the police, call your parents, the quicker that we can find out who's doing it or who's done what," said Miller.
Produced by
Washington and Lee
journalism students.
Lead Supervisor:
Prof. Brian
Richardson
Prof. Phylissa
Mitchell
Reporting supervisors:
Prof. Doug
Cumming
Prof. Pamela Luecke
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd