D.C. schools warn of attempted abductions, police say no complaints have been filed

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/dc-schools-warn-of-attempted-abductions-police-say-no-complaints-have-been-filed/2016/03/17/a18cc230-ec83-11e5-bc08-3e03a5b41910_story.html

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At least three public D.C. elementary schools sent letters to parents this week warning about a man in a vehicle who reportedly tried to abduct children in Northwest Washington. But police said no such complaints have been filed.

A school system spokeswoman said information in the letters from Janney, Eaton and Ross elementary schools came from concerns raised by parents and Internet postings, and not from law enforcement or reports from witnesses.

The letters said “there have been child abduction attempts in and around NW DC within the last week.” They also noted that in one case, a man driving a blue or green car similar to one used in a reported abduction attempt on March 11 in Montgomery County, was seen near Eaton Elementary School on Tuesday.

But D.C. police said they have found no record that anyone — including parents or school officials — made a complaint to law enforcement. Michelle Lerner, the school system spokeswoman, said the letters were sent because “we take safety very seriously” and want to protect students “while they are in our care.”

Dustin Sternbeck, the chief spokesman for the D.C. police, said that if “anyone has information about an attempted abduction, they should report that information to police immediately.”

Police in Montgomery County said that they have no reports about any attempted abduction in the District being related to the case they are investigating in Chevy Chase.

The county department issued a statement on Wednesday noting they have not corroborated a March 11 report from children ages 4 and 7 that a man tried to lure them into a blue or green sedan on Colston Drive. “Based on the investigation thus far, there is no credible information that indicates that this incident was an attempted abduction,” the police said.

Authorities said detectives re-interviewed the children and could not confirm their account. But police said, “Investigators continue to collect information and continue to follow possible leads.”