6 Dec. 17, 2011 - Jan. 6, 2012
Abductions from Page 1 Under investigation
Police are actively investigating two recent cases as abduction attempts. The fi rst incident, which occurred over the summer, involved a teenager who was attacked near Galveston and Hartford streets. “On Aug. 31, a 13-year-old girl was grabbed by the hair,” Favazzo says. “The suspect came out of an alley by Shannon Street unannounced and grabbed her.” The man, described as a Hispanic male in his 20s, tried to force the girl into his older model brown sedan. She was able to escape by kicking, screaming and resisting him and ran home before the suspect could subdue her.
In the second case, a teenage boy was targeted Oct. 19 near Monterey and Sunset. This time, the suspect was described as an older white male, and he did not make physical contact with his intended victim. “The other incident happened in the same general area,” says Favazzo. “A man chased a young teenage boy.”
Again, the targeted child was able to escape unharmed. The police do not think the cases are connected or that a serial predator is prowling the SanTan Sun area.
“We do not believe there is an abductor targeting Chandler,” Favazzo explains. “Our cases seem to be random and unrelated. The suspect descriptions are different, vehicle descriptions are different and they had different contacts with the children,” Favazzo says. “The only similarity seems to be that the children involved were young teens – one a girl and the other a boy – and they were in the general area of Galveston and Hartford.”
Community
Teachable moment Even though police offi cials don’t see these incidents as part of a pattern, the recent attempts serve as a reminder of the importance of educating children about potential hazards. The Chandler Police Department is teaming up with Chandler Unifi ed School District (CUSD) to make sure local families are taking precautions to keep children safe. “The potential always exists for child predators to be on the prowl and in our communities,” Favazzo says. “This is why it is important to teach your children about stranger danger, teach them how to get away from an attacker and always be vigilant and aware of their surroundings.”
CUSD Superintendent Camille Casteel recently sent a letter home to area parents advising them of the situation and offering help in instructing children about predators. School offi cials stress the importance of parental involvement in empowering children with knowledge about what they can do to protect themselves.
“We are helping parents by reinforcing their messages to children that it is best practice to be wary of any person they don’t know,” says CUSD spokesman Terry Locke. “This includes not entering any homes without parent permission, not allowing any stranger access to their home without parent permission, walking with one or more friends and avoiding alleys in areas of the community that have them. Most important, we ask children to report any peculiar activity to a trusted adult, whether it be a parent or school staff member.”
Favazzo says the Chandler police stress the importance of sharing information and reporting
www.SanTanSun.com
anything that seems suspicious.
“Follow your gut feelings,” he says. “If something does not seem right, report it. And parents, talk to your children about stranger danger. No matter how old they are, no matter how many times you have to have the same discussion, talk to your children.”
Miriam Van Scott is a former Kerby Estates resident who can be reached at
Miriam@SanTanSun.com.
Tips for protecting children
Chandler police recommend the following to help keep children safe:
• Parents, whenever possible, walk or drive your children to school and activities.
• When no adult is available, children should stay in groups and always be aware of their surroundings.
• Children should not engage in behavior that limits their awareness of what’s around them, such as constantly texting, looking down at a game player or phone screen or wearing headphones that block outside sounds.
• If children are approached, they should do everything they can to attract attention and make the abductor give up, such as screaming “No, leave me alone,” kicking, punching, clawing, fighting and running away.
• Following any encounter, go to the nearest business or place where adults are and call the police immediately.
• Try to notice and remember details about the attacker and the vehicle and share this information with police immediately
• Consider joining a neighborhood watch program.
For information on Chandler Neighborhood Block Watch, visit
www.chandlerpd.com.
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