Elgin police want you to stay vigilant after attempted child abduction

Elgin police are asking residents to be vigilant and call with any information they might have about a man who tried to abduct a child on the city's southwest side.

The man riding in a white cargo van attempted to abduct the boy, who was strapped in a stroller, at about 8 p.m. Thursday near Gertrude and Morgan streets, Elgin Police Cmdr. Colin Fleury said.

Police had no motive and no information linking the attempted abduction to any other incident in Elgin or elsewhere, Fleury said Friday. “We are very actively working on this investigation,” he said.

A 45-year-old woman told police she was walking with her granddaughter, who is less than 8, and grandson, who is less than 5, when the van made a U-turn and approached her.

She said the passenger, whom she described as a Hispanic man in his 30s with short curly hair, average height and a medium build, tried to abduct the boy. A struggle ensued between the offender and the victim, who said she didn't know the man, he said.

The woman kept a grip on the stroller and yelled for help. The would-be abductor fled the van, which was driven by another man. The children were not hurt; the woman reported minor injuries but did not require treatment. “She was very upset by it,” Fleury said.

Residents should look out for suspicious people and know where their kids are at all times, Fleury said.

“Make sure you talk to them about what happens and what they should do if a stranger approaches them, and how they should walk away and run and call for help,” he said.

Residents should call police with any information, no matter how seemingly minor, he said. “We live by the motto that there is no call too small in Elgin.”

The Elgin Police Department issued a CodeRED on Thursday night, and residents in the area may have received a phone call asking for information.

Anyone with any information about the abduction attempt should call Elgin police at (847) 289-2600. Additionally, individuals can provide anonymous tips via the crime line at (847) 695-4195 or by texting 847411 and including ELGINPD in the beginning of the text, along with the message and/or tip information.