WASHINGTON — A man in a minivan attempted to kidnap an 8-year-old girl in Takoma Park, Maryland, as she waited for a ride to school Tuesday morning, police said.
Takoma Park Police said two men in a gray Chrysler Pacifica-style minivan approached the girl, who was standing outside her home near the intersection of Elm and Pine Avenues, waiting for her father to give her a ride to school.
The girl told police the passenger in the van opened the van door and told her: “Come to my house, I have candy.” The girl told police she pushed against the van door and ran back inside her house, said Catherine Plevy, a spokeswoman for the police department.
The van was last seen on Elm Avenue driving toward the John Nevins Andrews School, police said.
The van passenger was described as having light brown skin with hazel eyes. Police said he had a hoop nose ring, a pink pimple near his left eye and a flower tattoo on his left hand. Police said he was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with a white stripe and light faded black sweatpants with holes in them. Police said the only information known about the driver of the van is that he was a man.
Police said the van had dents on its side and may have had D.C. tags.
Police have asked residents of Elm Avenue and Pine Avenue with security cameras outside their homes to contact police to assist with the investigation. They have asked residents or anyone else with information to call police at 301-270-1100.
Takoma police said they have contacted police in D.C. and Prince George’s County and that they will deploy police to area schools Tuesday afternoon.
Below is a map of where police said the attempted kidnapping took place.
WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report.
