On April 6th at 11:06 a.m., West Precinct bicycle officers were flagged down regarding an attempted kidnapping at Pike Place Market. Officers made contact with a couple and their three children, ages 5, 6 and 7. The youngest child, a boy, had just been recovered from the clutches of a stranger.
According to the parents, it all started around 11:00 a.m. at 1st and Pike Street. The mother had stopped to remove a rock from her foot cast. The father had turned to help her. Once they had removed the rock, they noticed that their youngest child was no longer with them. The family immediately began to search for the missing boy in Pike Place Market. Considering the hour and the weather, the market was especially crowded. The mother spotted her son first. He was being led away by an unknown adult male and was about 40 feet away. She called out to her son and ran towards him. The father followed with the two other children. As she approached, the man released the child and disappeared into the market. It was at this time that officers were flagged down.
The mother, child and other witnesses provided officers with a suspect description. The search began. Minutes later, officers found the suspect exiting a Pike Place Market men’s restroom. The mother, child, and witnesses identified him as the individual who had attempted to kidnap the boy.
When interviewed, the child told officers that the man pulled him away from his family and only let go when his mother had come to the rescue. The child was upset by the ordeal, but was otherwise unharmed.
The suspect, a 65-year-old Seattle resident, was interviewed at the West Precinct and later booked into King County Jail for Investigation of Kidnapping. Homicide detectives will conduct the follow up investigation.
For information on child safety, please visit our web site at seattle.gov