Older Brothers Fend Off Latest Whittier Abduction Attempt

WHITTIER (CBSLA.com) — Police said Wednesday an attempted kidnapping at a park in Whittier was not related to a series of abductions last month.

KNX 1070's Pete Demetriou reports a 12-year-old boy told officers he was playing on a swing set while his older brothers were playing on a nearby basketball court when he was attacked.

Officers responded to a call at around 7:25 p.m. on Tuesday at Parnell Park, where an unknown male approached the victim from behind.

The suspect placed his hand over the victim's mouth and put him in a choke hold. The victim told the officers that the male subject told him not to make any noises as he attempted to pull the young boy off the swing set.

The victim was able to make some type of noise that alerted his older brothers (ages 13 and 14), who ran over to their younger brother and started punching, kicking and screaming at the suspect.

The suspect eventually released the victim and ran westbound through the park and into a residential area while
the three boys ran eastbound towards their home.

Police said the incident does not appear to be related to at least three attempted kidnappings in Whittier that took place in February.

The suspect is described as a male Hispanic, approximately 30-40 years of age, 5'08" tall, stocky build, unshaven with a scar on his right cheek. He was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, dark shorts and white shoes.

Anyone with information on the incident or the suspect is urged to call the Whittier Police Department Detective Bureau at (562) 567-9270.

In:
• Kidnapping