Boonton, NJ, Police Search For Man Accused Of Attempting To Abduct Young Girl

BOONTON, N.J. (CBSNewYork) – Police in Boonton are looking for a man suspected of attempting to abduct a child Tuesday evening.

A 10-year-old girl told authorities a man in his 20s or 30s driving a black car approached her as she walked home from school just before 5 p.m., police told CBS2's Diane Macedo.

The driver pulled up beside her as she walked at the intersection of Liberty Street and Cedar Street and stopped to get out before grabbing her arm, the girl told police.

"The black vehicle pulled onto Liberty Street somewhere in this area. The driver exited and this is where he approached the child and grabbed her by the arm," Captain Thomas Turrisi said.

The girl was able to pull away from the man and run home, police said. She immediately told a neighbor, who called police.

The suspect then got back in his car and drove up Liberty Street, according to police.

"The driver got back in his vehicle and went in a northernly direction on Liberty Street," Captain Turrisi said.

Chief David Mayhood said the girl picked out an example of what the car looked like and offered a description of the man.

The driver is described as having worn a black mask covering the bottom half of his face during the attempted abduction. The victim said the suspect had short hair with a "neatly shaped" hairline and an olive skin tone. He was last seen wearing a black T-shirt with a skull on it, black cargo pants and black boots.

Police are now searching for the man and have asked parents to be on high alert.

"Always be aware of your surroundings. Make sure you look around. Make sure you're not allowing strange people to approach you," Chief Mayhood said.

If a stranger does approach the chief suggested yelling 'fire' as loud as possible.

"Usually 'fire' is the best thing because we don't want to confuse the neighborhood with somebody playing," Chief Mayhood explained.

The girl described the car the suspect was driving as a black four-door sedan, similar to that of a Lincoln Town Car or livery cab.

Police have provided a sketch of the suspect as well as the other identifying details the girl described.

Police say they are receiving several leads a day on the case. Anyone with information is asked to call the Boonton Police Department at 973-402-9371, then dial extension 610 or 613.