Police call incident an “enticement”
Osceola police are calling last week’s possible attempted child abduction an “enticement” and don’t think it is connected to a string of other reports in the area.
On Sept. 2 at approximately 7:45 p.m., an 11-year-old boy was asked several times by a male passenger in a truck if he wanted a ride.
The boy was riding a bicycle in his neighborhood when the three male suspects approached the minor in a pickup truck. According to Osceola Police Chief Marty Duffus, the suspects didn’t exit the vehicle.
Duffus said he contacted Iowa Department Criminal Investigation andother police departments where similar incidents have happened including Des Moines, Pella, New Sharon, Clive and Waukee.
Osceola police are still investigating, but Duffus said the attempt in Osceola seems different than the other incidents because a truck was used instead of a van and there were several occupants in the vehicle, which wasn’t the case in the other reports.
Police have received several tips from local residents, but none have led to any arrests.
Duffus said he doesn’t know the intent of the suspects, but thinks it could have been a scare tactic. Police said the boy was not touched or harmed during the incident and had enough time to leave the scene.
Duffus said he will not make any arrests until consulting the county attorney if the suspects are found.
The men were in their early 20s, all with various tattoos on their arms. The passenger of the truck who spoke to the child is described as having a bald head with a swirl tattoo.
The victim described the suspects’ truck as dark blue with red and gray stripes along the sides. The boy also saw rust above the passenger wheels.
