Two Girls in Lexington Almost Kidnapped, Neighborhood Searching for Kidnapper
Two girls in the past month narrowly escaped kidnapping in a Lexington neighborhood. The neighborhood is now looking for the suspect.
At the end of February, a man tried to pick up a 14-year-old girl at a bus stop on Edmund Highway, near Lexington. He asked her if she needed a ride, and since she did not recognize him, she declined. He then got out of his car and she suspected he would try to force her into his car, so she ran back toward her house. When she ran, she heard him get back in his car and start to follow her. She made it back to her house, and immediately called her mother. She also spoke with resource officers in the Cayce Department of Public Safety, and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.
The second incident occurred less than a month later, at the end of March. A 9-year-old girl was walking home after getting off her school bus, when she saw a suspicious car parked in her driveway. A man got out of the car and walked toward her. She was frightened, so she ran through the woods to find a neighbor who might be at home. The man got out of his car and pursued her, but she hopped a fence and knocked on a neighbor’s door. Her neighbor, Michelle Childress, happened to be home, and called the police while keeping the girl calm.
Both girls described a white male, between 18 and 25, with brown hair and a moustache. He drove a burgundy 4-door sedan. However, so far the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department is searching for two separate white male suspects, as they do not believe that the incidents are related.
Parents and police officers alike are on high alert for the suspects.
South Carolina Kidnapping Laws
Kidnapping is defined as taking someone to an undisclosed location against their will. According to the laws of South Carolina, whoever shall unlawfully seize, confine, inveigle, decoy, kidnap, abduct or carry away any other person by any means whatsoever without authority of law, except when a minor is seized or taken by his parent, is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned for a period not to exceed thirty years unless sentenced for murder as provided in Section 16-3-20[i].
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Missing Persons Information Center assist in the recovery of missing persons, including children. If you have information about a missing person or a potential kidnapper, you can contact the Missing Persons Information Center through their website, or by calling 1-800-322-4453.
The Strom Law Firm Prosecutes Criminals On Behalf of Kidnapping Victims
If you or a loved one are the victims of a serious crime, including kidnapping, it is important that you take the person who hurt you to court – whether it is a criminal trial, orpersonal injury lawsuit. The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm have been based in Columbia, SC for 16 years, and are also licensed to practice in Georgia and New York. We offer free, confidential consultations to discuss the facts of your case, so do not hesitate to contact us for help. 803.252.4800.