Local

2 abduction attempts reported in Gwinnett County

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Channel 2 Action News has learned of a second report of an attempted child abduction in Gwinnett County in less than a week.
 
In both cases, the boys were able to escape.
 
Gwinnett County police told Channel 2's Tony Thomas that the two boys describe very different men as their potential abductors, but one thing is in common,: the black truck. That has detectives trying to find out more info.
 
A Gwinnett police officer drove through the Dacula neighborhood Thursday afternoon, keeping an eye on things after the reported Tuesday incident that has adults and kids shaken.
 
Tracy Burtz says her 11-year-old is very worried, but she's trying to calm him. 
 
"He's kind of peeking around the corners more, so he's scared," Burtz said.
 
Another 11-year-old boy in the neighborhood says he was walking home from the bus stop Tuesday afternoon when a heavy man with a beard driving a black pickup stopped and tried to reach out and grab him.
 
The boy ran away and was able to tell his parents what happened.
 
This incident comes on the heels of a similar report a few miles away in Lawrenceville last week. There, a 7-year-old boy says a man in a black truck pulled in front of his house and chased him up his driveway.
 
"Do you believe these could be related at all?" Thomas asked Cpl. Jake Smith, with the Gwinnett County Police Department.  
 
"It's possible. We are not saying that they are related at this point, but we are going to look into both of them," Smith said.  
 
Police say the descriptions don't match, but if nothing else, authorities want people to take this as a time to talk with their children.
 
"You've got to get out there and live your normal life. However, pay attention," Smith said.
 
Which is exactly what Burtz is doing.
 
"I told my son the chances are he won't come back to this neighborhood right now, so don't be scared to death to walk outside. But you just have to be aware of it," Burtz said.
 
The 11-year-old in the latest case was able to give police a tag number. Now, detectives say that tag number doesn't come back to a black truck, but they are still investigating.