Prince Rupert RCMP are asking parents to be vigilant after the attempted abduction of an 11-year-old girl on Thursday night.
After playing at a friend's house in the Drake Crescent area on the evening of March 6, the girl began walking up Drake Crescent toward Prince Rupert Blvd. When she reached the intersection, a man grabbed her from behind and began to pull her into nearby bushes. Fortunately for the girl, the suspect tripped and fell, which allowed her to break free and run away. Following the sounds of her scream, the girls' friend found her unharmed.
The only description of the assailant is that of a young man who was wearing dark clothes and sunglasses.
"Given the concerning nature of what appears to be a random in incident, police are informing the community of this event and ask that they remain vigilant when out and about," said Const. Matt Ericson of the Prince Rupert RCMP.
"Currently the matter is under investigation, and we are asking the public to report any persons acting suspiciously around young people."
Anyone with information about this incident or any suspicious activity is asked to call the Prince Rupert RCMP at 250-627-0700 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
The attempted abduction prompted a phone call from the Prince Rupert School District to all parents, alerting them to the incident. Superintendent Sandy Jones said although not done on a regular basis, situations like this warrant a blanket call.
"We were working closely with the RCMP on that. We received notice of a complaint from the RCMP and decided to send out a call to everyone to make sure people were aware," she said, noting the district is not taking any further action unless advised of another similar case by the RCMP.
"We thought better to be safe than sorry."