A man attempted a brazen abduction of two young girls from their backyard in Langford Monday night, police say.
An unidentified male entered the backyard of a home on Setchfield Avenue shortly before 9 p.m. on July 25 and told two sisters aged 3 and 6 to come with him.
He took one of the girls by the hand, but both had the presence of mind to run into their home and alert their mother. Quick action of the 6-year-old was a key factor in disrupting the attempted abduction, police say.
“It was good they didn’t go with him,” said Staff Sgt. Danny Willis with West Shore RCMP. “There is some indication the six year old had some stranger danger education in school.”
The man was between 20 and 40 years old. The description is vague because the children are young, Willis said.
The man ran away on foot. A police dog failed to pick up a trace of the suspect. “There is no indication that a vehicle was involved,” Willis said.
“We need to be vigilant and safe with children. Be aware that there are undesirable people in the neighbourhoods,” he said. “This is a rare event. We haven’t had this happen, ever. Not like this.”
Willis urges members of the community to report strangers lurking in their neighbourhood.
“Try to get as detailed description as you can,” Willis said.
Anyone with information on this attempted abduction is asked to call West Shore RCMP at 250-474-2264.
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