ST. PETERSBURG — Police are investigating whether two attempted abductions of teenage girls Monday are related.
The first incident occurred about 11 a.m. when a 14-year-old girl walking near 26th Avenue N and 66th Street saw a white Lincoln Navigator slowly drive by and then stop. The driver got out of the SUV as she walked by.
The girl was near her home when the incident occurred, St. Petersburg Police spokesman Mike Puetz said early Wednesday.
The girl said the man made a flirtatious comment and asked if she needed a ride. She said she kept walking and called her father on her cell phone.
The man, described as a light-skinned Hispanic in blue jeans and a white T-shirt, got back in the Navigator and drove away.
Later Monday, a 15-year-old girl told police she was walking east on First Avenue S at about 3:30 p.m. when a man came up behind her, grabbed her arm and told her to "get in."
Detectives said the girl kicked the suspect in the groin and ran. She called her friend's mother to pick her up a few blocks away.
Police said the girl described the suspect as an older white man wearing blue jeans and black gloves. She did not see a vehicle.
There is no apparent friendship between the two girls, Puetz said.
Investigators said they don't know if the cases are related, but because of the timing and similarities in the incidents they are considering it a possibility.
Loading...