Suspect sought in alleged abduction attempt

By ANGELA BRANDT - IR Staff Writer - 04/27/07

Law enforcement officials are searching for a blonde man wanted on suspicion of attempting to coax an 11-year-old girl into his black passenger car adorned with spinning hub caps.

At about 4:30 p.m. Thursday the man approached the girl, who was selling lemonade on the corner of Montana and State avenues and twice said “come get in my car, little girl,” Helena police Cpl. Peter Callah said.

After the second time the man approached her, the girl yelled and ran away.

The girl described the man’s blond hair as “feathered back.”

He is said to be wearing a navy blue T-shirt and has no facial hair.

Helena police, the Lewis and Clark Sheriff’s Office and the Montana Highway Patrol are looking for the man in order to question him about the reported incident, Callah said.

Anyone with any information is urged to call Crimestoppers at 443-2000.

Because of the other reported attempted abductions, area schools are urging parents and students to be especially careful.

This is the third investigated attempted child abduction in the area during the last eight days.

Tuesday morning, a caller reported that a tall, skinny white man with dark curly hair allegedly chased a 5-year-old boy around a front yard on the 3400 block of Kottas Court, Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Cheryl Liedle said.

The man, who at the time was dressed in blue sweatpants and a white tank top, jumped the fence surrounding the yard and fled when he saw the boy’s mother at about 8 a.m. Tuesday, Liedle said.

Last week at a Helena store the possible attempted abduction of an 8-year-old girl was reported.

A thin Caucasian light-haired man with a pock-marked face is suspected of watching an 8-year-old girl for some time at Costco last Wednesday before grabbing her wrist from behind and then wrapping his arm around her waist in an attempt to pick her up, according to Helena Police Chief Troy Mc Gee.

The girl told police she was able to maneuver away from the man, who was dressed in black, then walked away.

Law enforcement officials said they are investigating whether any of the incidents are related, but have no evidence that they are so far.

In another criminal incident involving a child, Monday afternoon, a man allegedly approached a 12-year-old girl across the street from Eastgate Elementary School and exposed himself, Liedle said.

The man was described as about 5 feet, 9 inches tall with a light complexion, messy dark hair and a potbelly. Liedle said the man unzipped his pants and then made sexual advances toward the teenage girl at about 5 p.m. on Lewis Street in East Helena.

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Reader Comments:

must see wrote on Apr 28, 2007 8:59 AM:

" http://doj.mt.gov/svor/searchlist.asp?City=helena&Page=1 copy and paste the above website to view the 209 regisitered offenders in the city of helena and you will see that you do have a Sexually Violent Predator living next door to you. and maybe another 100 NOT regisitered there also. If you have never viewed this website- be prepared...knowledge is power "

FIX AMERICA FIRST wrote on Apr 27, 2007 6:59 PM:

" A "LAME DUCK" I would assume. Ducks generate a lot of tax money in the United States of Amexica. I am curious to know which state produces the most ducks in the US?? So far, it looks like TEXAS! QUACK QUACK QUACK "

Helenan wrote on Apr 27, 2007 6:51 PM:

" As the church lady would say ..... "HOW CONVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENIENT" that former commissioner Parriman is suddenly in a position to profit hugely from a little bit of shady smoke and mirror manipulating... how much of this sort thing did he have legislative authority or regulatory control over during his tenure as a commissioner?... THIS STINKS to high heaven! "

Helenan wrote on Apr 27, 2007 9:10 AM:

" Once again, if our Sheriff was allowing scanner communications to occur on our public airwaves, as has been being promised for two years, things like this could have a greater chance of solution; more eyes, more cell phones, more people on the street to help. Why are we still being kept in the dark? "

Angelwatching wrote on Apr 27, 2007 8:10 AM:

" This is why tougher laws are needed to keep evil away from the children. It is time to send these people to prison for life!I want to encourage parents to keep talking to your kids this is the best defense. To all the kids stay safe and keep fighting! May God watch over all of you. I am proud of you and your courage. To law enforcement,the cries of help lay on your shoulders. Miss.Angelwatching "

Heather wrote on Apr 27, 2007 7:35 AM:

" Does anyone else notice that our local media is almost downplaying the importance of these attempts? I think this should be all over in huge RED letters.....lets make sure this creep does not get his hands on any of our children! "

Tim Buswell wrote on Apr 27, 2007 4:34 AM:

" I find this story interesting and was waiting for this issue to hit Helena ever since i studied planning at Arizona State University. I am currently in Tempe, and just happened onto this issue searching for another story. As I understand it, Helena will someday become the largest city in our great state and require us to go vertical to reduce our impact on the valley. My first notion would to have our investors look downtown for another renewal, specifically near the God's Love block heading in either direction, therefore reducing the imprint on our treasured city park. My sister in Seattle would greatly appreciate my concern because she is one for the outdoors and against any further development of Helena altogether. If Marc Parriman really wants to create some type of condo development in Helena, why not look to already established lands. I realize that there is more invested in large cities like Phoenix, but the city planners are doing great things with sustainable resources all around the area. I realize that it is a struggle to make the downtown preservation committee happy because of all the rich history as well as the need for an exercised town. I'm torn on this issue but i believe that as long as we focus vertically downtown using adaptable materials, instead of impacting the surrounding area, our city can thrive as a great place where people can live. "


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