[Update posted at 10:20 a.m. PT on June 6, 2015]
Investigators have concluded that the reported attempted kidnapping of an 11-year-old boy did not occur, according to a news release issued Friday by the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department.
[Original story, updated at 4:59 a.m. on May 29, 2015]
Police Seek 2 Men Who Attempted to Kidnap 11-Year-Old Boy in Palos Verdes Estates
Police asked for the public’s help Friday in locating two men who allegedly attempted to kidnap an 11-year-old boy walking to his Palos Verdes Estates home the previous day.
The boy was approached by a man in a 1980s-style Chevrolet van around 3:30 p.m. Thursday near Coronel Plaza and Via Margarita (map), according to a news release from the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department.
The driver asked the boy for directions to “the promenade,” at which time the boy tried to look up the information on his cellphone.
The man then said he could not hear the boy, prompting the victim to approach the front passenger door.
The victim then heard the van’s sliding door open, and felt someone grab his backpack from the rear and attempt to pull him inside, according to police.
The boy broke free and was able to run home as he heard the van quickly speed away.
Upon further investigation, the boy recalled seeing the van in the same area on Wednesday around the same time.
The van was described as a full-size, 1980s-style Chevrolet van. The paint was a faded, medium-brown color with a light-colored horizontal stripe running down both sides of the van and miscellaneous areas of chipped paint on both sides. It had oval windows on the sides and mini, horizontal blinds covering the rear windows, the news release stated.
The driver was described as a white man, appearing to be 40 to 50 years old, with a medium build; “buzz cut,” dark-brown hair; dark, tan skin and an unknown color tank top.
The boy did not see the man who grabbed him, police said.
Anyone with information was asked to contact Detective Charles Reed at 310-378-7522, extension 4.