Police: Child Who Reported Attempted Abduction Wasn’t In Danger

SARATOGA SPRINGS, Utah – Police on Tuesday said they determined an incident where a child was approached by a vehicle did not present a safety hazard.

An 8-year-old boy on March 18 reported that he was approached by a white vehicle with three elderly occupants, said the child’s mother, Jocelyn Hansen.

“He came in the door and he said, ‘I almost got kidnapped. I just almost got kidnapped,'” she said.

According to the Saratoga Springs Police Department, officials were able to track down the vehicle and speak with the driver and two passengers.

Police were able to confirm the vehicle — a white truck — was driven by a man in his 80s who was accompanied by his two elderly sisters. They cooperated with police, according to SSPD, and said they were attempting to drive to a newly-purchased home when they got lost.

The man told authorities they approached the boy to see if he knew the name of the street they were looking for. The suspects told detectives they did not tell the child to get into the vehicle, but they did confirm that the boy immediately appeared uneasy and left the scene, according to police.

“The suspects acknowledged to detectives that they should not have approached the child and realized after he responded to them with great uneasiness,” said Saratoga Springs Spokesperson David Johnson. “Until our detectives contacted the suspects, they were unaware of the concern the situation had caused and they feel genuinely remorseful about the incident.”

“We would like to remind individuals to never approach children,” he added. “We would also like to remind parents to teach children to not speak to or go with strangers, have children walk in groups and know your child’s route to and from home.”