Gloucester News

February 28 Kidnapping Attempted at School Bus Stop

Editor Andrew Casteneda

Be aware, cautious, and on the lookout for a dark blue, four door sedan with tinted windows, as well as an older man fitting the description of white, dark hair with hints of gray, and average body build.

The individual of such description is suspected of attempting the kidnapping of a middle school boy walking home from the bus stop around Woodhaven and Poplar Ridge Drive in Petsworth, Va. This event transpired around 3:10 p.m. on Thursday, February 28.

According to the Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office, the man approached the boy in his dark blue sedan from a neighbor’s driveway, though he was not the neighbor. The man told the boy, “Hey, your parents told me to pick you up."

The boy, not recognizing the man, responded by telling him, "No, they wouldn't do that," before running to his house nearby, locking the door and calling his grandmother.

Phyllis Smith, grandmother, was at the supermarket on the evening of the incident when she got the call from her shaken grandson. “I was so frantic, I was so scared because it could have played out very differently…” Smith told WTKR News. “We thank God that he knew what to do. He knew exactly what to do, so we are very, very proud of him. It could have been anybody else and the outcome could have been totally different.”

Despite deep investigation by the Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office, no significant information has been uncovered. Why the man was in the area and why he approached the student in such a manner is still a mystery.

Students have taken the opportunity to exercise more cognizance of their surroundings. Gloucester Freshman Grace Sigley stated the incident reminded her to handle potential incidents “calmly and be aware of the situation.”

“As long as I’m aware,” Sigley stated, “I think I’d be able to get somewhere.”

Since the incident, officials have dedicated police patrols around the area at times which buses are loading or dropping off. Officials have also advised that students and parents remain aware of their surroundings and report any unusual or suspicious incidents to the Gloucester County Sheriff's Office immediately.