CEDAR CITY, Utah, Oct. 2, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — Cedar City police officials are investigating an alleged attempted child abduction that occurred Tuesday evening.
Police say they were called to the tractor-trailer parking lot at Love’s Travel Stop at 2645 N. Canyon Ranch Drive about 6:56 p.m. with reports of an attempted kidnapping.
“Initial information was given that an 8-year-old girl was in a tractor-trailer waiting for her father to return from getting food, when a suspect entered the driver’s door of the tractor-trailer and attempted to grab her,” the news release said. “The girl kicked away and exited the passenger door getting away and the suspect fled in an unknown direction.”
First officers on scene were given a description of the suspect and the tractor-trailer he was driving. Dispatchers broadcast an attempt to locate call (ATL) for the suspect’s tractor-trailer. A Utah Highway Patrol trooper in Washington County located the suspected vehicle in the area of mile marker 13 on Interstate 15 in Washington County and took custody of the suspect.
The suspect was transported to the Cedar City Police Department where he was interviewed by a detective and released, the news release said. Officials did not give further details of why he was released, but the news release said: “We are not looking for any other suspects in this case.”
This case is active and ongoing as investigators are sorting through evidence, interviews and consulting with the Iron County Attorney’s Office, officials said. An update will be provided when more information is available.
