Kathy Stewart, wtop.com
WASHINGTON — Girls and young women the region have been the focus of multiple attempted abductions. Police are urging them — and their parents — to take precautions.
The latest incident happened about 8 a.m. Wednesday in Springfield. Fairfax County police spokeswoman Lucy Caldwell says a 19-year-old was walking towards Lee High School when a man approached her on foot.”
“He grabbed her. She was able to scream and run away,” Caldwell says.
The victim ran to the school and immediately reported the incident. Although police responded quickly, no arrests were made. There have been no arrests in the two other cases that happened last month in Fairfax — in Mount Vernon on Oct. 28 and Oakton on Oct. 11 — or in a recent series of attempted abductions in Stafford and Spotsylvania counties.
There is nothing linking the cases, but “detectives are always open to the possibility that they could be linked,” Caldwell says.
It’s imperative to report these incidents as soon as possible. Police could not respond as quickly in the Oct. 28 case because there was a delay in the case being reported to police.
By getting this out to the community, Caldwell is hopeful someone may have seen something or may have information. Also, she suggests that this is a good opportunity to talk to your child about having a safety plan.