Police say child's abduction foiled by Wal-Mart shopper

Arkansas Democrat Gazette ^ | Thurs, July 18,2002 | Sandy Davis

[spectre]

SEARCY - A customer may have unknowingly foiled an attempt to abduct a child in a Wal-Mart store Tuesday, police said.

An 11-year-year old girl, who has not been identified, was alone in the toy department of the Searcy store about 9 a.m. when a man approached her.

"I don't think she ever saw him approach her," said Aaron Murphy, a spokesman for the Searcy Police Department.

The girl was browsing while her grandmother shopped elsewhere in the store.

"The man walked up to her, got ahold of her arm and tried to lead her away," Murphy said. "They took a couple of steps when a customer came around the corner of the aisle and scared the man."

The man, who was wearing a black baseball cap, gray T-shirt and bluejeans, released the girl and walked out of the store "at a high rate of speed," Murphy said.

"No one noticed him," he said. "He didn't make a scene. I guess he was such a generic-looking guy - clean-cut, with a slight five-oclock shadow, no scars, markes or tattoos, in his early 30's. There's a lot of people who look like that".

The customer who came around the corner did not notice much about the man.

"The customer saw what he was wearing, but he thought the guy was with the little girl," Murphy said.

On Wednesday, police were at Wal-Mart reviewing security videotapes.

"We're hoping to get a photograph of this guy," Murphy said.

[spectre]

Warning to Pedophiles..."Don't EVEN THINK of nabbing a child from a local Wal-Mart Store in Arkansas. They are locked and loaded..

[spectre]

Ping!

[dd5339]

Just another reason for CCW.

Semper Fi!

[spectre]

What say you Kim? Think the little girl would have kicked and screamed as he dragged her out?

I do.

sw

[nevergore]

Although I have my CCW and carry on a regular basis.....

For a pedophile, hand to hand would be the more pleasurable choice.......

A 230 grain hollowpoint doesn't offer that same level of satisfaction....

NeverGore

[dyed_in_the_wool]

Searcy, Arkansas. Home of Harding University.
Hope they catch this scum bag. It's a shame. Searcy seems like a nice little town.

[skateman]

I have a friend who lives in the Searcy area, several years ago she broke up an attempted kidnapping of a woman and her child in the Searcy Wal-Mart parking lot.

[spectre]

Beautiful little town. I do think the girl would have been kicking and screaming on the way out the door with this guy...but who knows?

sw

[dawn53]

But as I said yesterday, how many times have you seen a person carrying out a kicking screaming kid from the grocery or WalMart. Most people think nothing of it just figure the kid is having a tantrum. I've done it to my own when he was small.

Is taking a more vocal and proactive posture when we see this happening warranted? Stopping the person and making a comment (which could be innocent enough in nature, but if person is a would be abductor might be enough to rattle him), or following them to the car to get a license plate number might be options. Then we'd have something to report you hear of an abduction.

Plus when my kid was younger, we always told him to scream, "You're not my daddy, or you're not my mommy" if someone was trying to forceably abduct him.

[mgc1122]

Nice little towns like Searcy is where the "blue zone" types come to hunt their prey these days it seems.

[jlogajan]

I don't ever remember being allowed to roam around alone in a store -- although we were allowed to roam around in groups of kids.

[Jolly Green]

A 230 grain hollowpoint doesn't offer that same level of satisfaction....

I would lean toward "drawn and quartered".

[spectre]

You are probably half-right...It's getting like the car alarms in the parking lots going off...NO ONE pays much attention anymore.

And yes, I've seen kids screaming in Wal-Mart, especially at the toy department when their parents say "no"..

sw

[mouse_35]

I lean toward dipping them in honey and staking them out over a fire ant bed...

[dd5339]

Although my personal choice would be for a sharp knife, we can't lower ourselves to their level.

I'd observe and reasonably believe someone was in immediate danger of death or bodily harm and respond appropriately.

I'd let the torture part of the deal be inflicted for eternity while the perp was in H*ll.

Semper Fi!

[spectre]

Walmart, K-Mart, Target? Oh yes, it happens all the time..Mom says to child..."Stay here in the toy department and I'll be across the isle in the hardware department"..It happens all the time, everyday...check it out next time you go shopping.

sw

[nevergore]

"I'd let the torture part of the deal be inflicted for eternity while the perp was in H*ll"

I didn't advocate killing him....justa severe a$$-whooping....

His roomates at the prison will take care of the torture/killing.....

Ooh-rah GIrine!

NeverGore:^)

[yarddog]

Around 1981 I was in a store in Norfolk Virginia when a little girl who was around 6 years old told me she was lost. (I think I have one of those faces.) I took her by the hand and led her to the cashier and explained that she was lost. No problems at all but later I realized I had done a really foolish thing.

If that ever happens again, I will tell her to stay in that spot and ask another shopper to watch her and then go to the cashier myself.

Of course taking her by the arm forcibly is a totally different situation and I don't doubt this really was a potential kidnapping but still things aren't always what they seem.

[shiva]

I lean toward dipping them in honey and staking them out over a fire ant bed...

That's a good one.Mine is this: Get a sanitary napkin, soak it in gasoline, strap it on the pervert,then set it ablaze!!!!!!Burn,baby,burn.

[asformeandformyhouse]

Plus when my kid was younger, we always told him to scream, "You're not my daddy, or you're not my mommy" if someone was trying to forceably abduct him.

I tell my children that the one word that will make every adult within hearing range come to attention is "Stranger". It should be yelled at the top of their lungs.