Durham mom terrified after man tries to kidnap her son

DeJuan Hoggard Image
Thursday, February 2, 2017
Mom describes son's attempted kidnapping
A Durham mother told ABC11 her son was almost kidnapped after school this week

DURHAM, North Carolina (WTVD) -- An attempted kidnapping targeting a 12-year-old boy Wednesday afternoon in Durham near Hillandale Elementary School has the community on high alert.

"I was thinking hard", said Bridget Williams, whose son was the victim of the attempted kidnapping. "I was thinking (the suspects were) maybe on the prowl to kidnap some kid."

According to the Durham Police Department official report, officers responded to the call at 3:04 p.m. Wednesday.

LISTEN: DURHAM MOM CALLS 911 AFTER ATTEMPTED KIDNAP

Williams' son was walking home from the Peppertree Street & Sugarwood Place bus stop when an older model black sedan slowly approached him. The child says a black man got out of the car and quickly came toward him with his hands in his pockets. The boy then screamed for the police and the two men fled the area.

In an exclusive interview, Williams told ABC11 her son was shaken up about the incident and was nervous afterward, but is now doing much better.

"He's not playing outside for a while," Williams said.

Gerard Jackson is a friend and neighbor to Williams. Thursday afternoon, Jackson was in the neighborhood alerting parents of the potential danger children face when coming home from school.

"It's sad that you can't even get off your school bus and just walk home without somebody trying to kidnap you or take you," Jackson said.

Jackson even has a message for pedophiles and strangers who want to take advantage of young children.

"Try it! Try it! I'm a parent and I'm going to protect my kids," Jackson said emphatically.

The incident is still being investigated by Durham PD and so far, no arrests have been made. If you have any information, please contact CrimeStoppers (919) 683-1200.

Report a Typo