Parents on alert after man tries to lure 12-year-old into car

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — Parents in a Cherokee County neighborhood are keeping their children inside while police look for a man who they say tried to abduct a child.

The child’s mother said the incident happened Tuesday around 5:30 p.m. on Fred Bishop Drive in Canton.

“My son called me and he alerted me that somebody tried to kidnap him, and I told him, ‘You need to get off the phone and call 911,’” said the mother, who did not want to be identified.

The mother said her 12-year-old son was walking home when a man in a black sedan drove up, rolled down his window and told the boy that his mother was in the hospital. The man told the boy that he needed to get in the car with him.

“He says, ‘My mom is inside and I just got off the phone with her and I need to ask her a question.’ The gentleman flew off,” the mother said.

She said she’s talked to her son about strangers.

“Of course, I gave him a hug and I told him he did the right thing and I’m glad he was safe,” the mother said.

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Canton police are reviewing neighborhood surveillance video to look for vehicles that match the description the boy gave them.

“We take all these cases seriously. We’re looking into the video, trying to match everything up and trying to determine exactly what did happen,” said Pacer Cordry with the Canton Police Department.

Police have increased patrols in the neighborhood and are committed to finding the person responsible.

“We want to make sure everyone is aware of the situation so they can be on the lookout and look for anything suspicious in the neighborhood,” Cordry said.

Cox Media Group