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Early Police investigating 'possible attempted kidnapping' of child

The Early PD said in a release they are seeking to identify a man who followed a woman through a store, then lunged toward her child, as if trying to grab her.
Credit: Early Police Department

EARLY, Texas — The Early Police Department is investigating what they describe as a "possible attempted kidnapping of a child."

According to an EPD press release, at approximately 8 p.m. Tuesday, the department received a call from a business in the 300 block of Early Boulevard, regarding a possible attempted kidnapping of a child.

Officers made contact with the assistant manager who told them a customer approached him regarding a male subject who tried to grab her four-year-old daughter. The manager told officers the man quickly left the store and got into a red newer model SUV, possibly an Explorer, parked at the outer edge of the parking lot.

Officers made contact with the mother, who reported a dark-skinned male, possibly Honduran decent, 5’9", stocky build, wearing stone-washed color jeans and a white T-shirt, a boonies-style hat and a medical mask, had been following her around the store.

At one point, the woman told officers she left the store to drop off her son at gymnastics and pick up her daughter. She then returned to the store and the man was still inside and began following her again, according to the release.

The victim said at one point, her daughter was a short distance from her and she called her to "get beside her." As the daughter got closer to the mother, the victim told officers the man lunged toward the child as if he was trying to grab her, but missed.

The victim made contact with a store employee and reported it to them as the suspect quickly left the store.

Officers reviewed video footage from the store early Wednesday morning and obtained a photo of the suspect, but the video of the attempt to grab the child was out of camera view.

"There have been several reported incidents like this around the central Texas area lately. Human trafficking is a very big business worldwide. Children and young people, male and female are kidnapped all across the country daily. It is imperative that law enforcement is notified as soon as possible for any attempt or successful kidnapping, and if someone acting suspicious that causes concern, they should notify law enforcement immediately. The sooner law enforcement is able to start looking the better the chances are to locate the suspects," the release said.

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