“We need everyone to be vigilant!”
Those were the words of Windom Assistant Police Chief Cory Hillesheim as he reported an attempted child abduction in Windom this afternoon.
The incident occurred on Windom’s east side at 2:25 p.m. when a blue Ford sedan pulled up to an 11-year-old boy and told him to get inside his vehicle. The man reportedly grabbed the boy by the wrist and tried to pull him to the car, but the child managed to escape.
The boy told police that at that point the man sped away, heading eastbound out of Windom on County Road 17. Hillesheim said the boy described the man as being about six feet tall with dark-colored skin and tattoos on both arms.
Hillesheim praised the boy for immediately telling his parents of the incident. His parents then quickly called police which then alerted other agencies.
Hillesheim noted that there have been three attempted abductions, of late, in Jackson. He is uncertain whether this is related to those cases.
“Children should not be out there alone,” Hillesheim said. “Let them go in pairs, the more the better, but don’t stop living your life, either.
“If you see anything suspicious, report it right away.”