Police Hunt For Suspects In Attempted Abductions Near Northeast Schools
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Detectives at the Los Angeles Police Department Northeast Division are investigating a serial child annoyance case.
Police are asking for help getting the word out in the Mount Washington/Elysian Park area, where more than four attempted abductions are now connected.
Authorities are looking for two suspects who may be working together or one man with two different looks seen in a pair of sketches provided to CBS2.
Authorities say the suspects have the same M.O., attempting to lure teenage girls into their car.
In each case the suspect was verbally aggressive, targeting female students between the ages of 13 and 17 who are walking to and from school.
Police say each victim had a cell phone, refused to get in the car and ran off to get help.
The crimes have occurred primarily around Cypress Park.
The most recent incident occurred on April 12 near the Sonia Sotomayor Learning Academies.
The suspects also struck twice in one day, just feet away from a local elementary school and other education facilities.
Officials at Sotomayor have stepped up police patrols. Crime alert letters were sent home this week advising parents and students to be vigilant.
"It's a pattern. There's more than one incident. The fact that there's four or five - it's a little troubling," Sotomayor Learning Academies spokesperson Joseph Llamas told CBS2's Suraya Fadel.
Parents are understandably unnerved.
Father-of-three Johnny Romero said he is taking extra safety measures.
"I'm very concerned because that's where I live," he said.
Police are telling students to walk in groups and stay vigilant and on guard.
Detectives are expected to meet with local educators Thursday morning.
