An 11-year-old girl escaped from a kidnapper in Menlo Thursday shortly before noon, according to a report from the Guthrie County Sheriff’s office.
The child told the Stuart Police Department she was walking near the intersection of Panora and Fourth streets in Menlo, a Guthrie County town of 350 population, when a vehicle approached her and its occupant asked for directions to Omaha.
The girl said when she approached the vehicle, a white male wearing a black ski mask and a Green Bay Packers cap exited the passenger side of the vehicle and grabbed her by the shoulder.
“The victim reacted appropriately and put up a fight and was able to run to a neighboring house, where 911 was called,” said Guthrie County Sheriff Marty Arganbright.
The possible abductor’s vehicle was described as a white SUV, possibly a Chevrolet Tahoe model from the 2000s. The vehicle is believed to have rust near the passenger wheel wells.
“The Stuart Police Department responded initially due to the sheriff’s office being occupied with yesterday’s other arrest,” Arganbright said. “We thank them for their valuable assistance.”
The sheriff’s office interviewed numerous witnesses and reviewed footage from surveillance cameras around town as part of their investigation of the incident.
“The vehicle is no longer believed to be in the Guthrie County area,” Arganbright said Thursday afternoon. “The information with regards to the situation has been passed on to law enforcement statewide.”
Arganbright said the sheriff’s office believes this is a valid report and urges parental caution when children are traveling alone in the public.
Anyone in the Menlo area with information about the vehicle or its occupants should call the Guthrie County Sheriff’s office at 641-747-2214.
