Mundelein police continue search for man who kidnapped girl
Mundelein police on Tuesday continued to search for a man who briefly abducted a 3-year-old girl the previous night.
The girl was kidnapped about 5:30 p.m. from the entrance of an apartment building on the 500 block of Deepwoods Drive. She was returned to the area a short time later.
The girl was with her mother and older sister at the time, Police Chief Eric Guenther said. The mother was walking ahead when the girls were approached by the suspect, Guenther said.
After talking to the girls, the man grabbed the 3-year-old, carried her to his nearby car and drove away, police said.
The girl was returned to the rear of a different apartment building in the same complex about 30 minutes later, Guenther said.
The same man had been seen earlier in the day giving candy to children in the area, and he was reported to be in the area Sunday as well, police said.
Authorities described the suspect as a Hispanic man who appeared to be in his 20s. He had short, curly hair and a goatee, police said.
He was seen driving a small, black or navy blue car. It may have been a Hyundai Accent, police said. Images of the car may have been captured on a neighbor's home video, Guenther said.
Anyone with information should call police at (847) 968-4600. Residents should call police if they see anyone suspicious in their neighborhood.