CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — An investigation is underway in Chesterfield County after two “suspicious incidents” involving the driver of a red pick up truck were reported to have taken place in the Midlothian area.
The Chesterfield County Police Department released information on Wednesday about the incidents, both of which involved young boys.
The department said the first incident involving a red truck was a reported attempted abduction, which occurred shortly before 4 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023 on the 14200 block of Newgate Road in the Midlothian area.
Police said a boy reported that he was walking home when a red truck pulled up beside him. The driver of the truck spoke to the boy and claimed to have been sent by a relative to pick him up.
When the boy refused to get in the truck and ran away, he said the driver reportedly got out of the truck and chased after him on foot for a short distance, the driver then got back into his truck and drove away. Police said the boy was not injured.
The suspect was described as a white man who is about 40-years-old, with short hair. According to police, he was wearing a blue sweatshirt. The suspect’s truck was described as an older-model two-door red pickup truck with rust near the wheels.
The second incident reportedly occurred between 6:15 and 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024 near the soccer fields behind Greenfield Elementary School. The incident was reported to police on Friday, Jan. 26.
During an interview on Friday, Jan. 26, a boy reported that he saw a vehicle, possibly a van or a truck, which may have been a red 1993 Ford Ranger with rust on the front, drive past on Greenfield Drive. According to police, the boy said the driver looked at him but he did not see the vehicle stop or see anyone get out of the vehicle.
The boy reported that, as he walked across the soccer field a few moments later, he saw a white man behind him, who was described as being around 6 feet tall and may have had black or brown hair with a beard, and who was wearing dark clothing, according to police.
The boy reported that he ran and called the name of a friend who was nearby.
The boy reported that the man chased him. When the boy reached his friend, the man was gone. The man did not speak to or touch the boy. Police said the boy’s friend did not report seeing the man.
“We got two victims saying that, you know, they were approached by a suspect that possibly wanted to grab them,” said Lt. John Payne, Jr. of the Chesterfield Police Special Victims Unit. “The biggest thing is, you know, we take everything seriously, we have investigated a ton of leads at this point, and we are continuing. We’re not just sitting idly by and not doing anything about this case.”
The department said it has increased patrols in those areas and that it is believed that the incidents could be connected because of some of the similarities.
“It seems like it may be connected, but we’re still working through all leads and tips, to kind of confirm that these are connected and that it is the same person,” Payne said.
A community-made flyer has been circulating on social media. It shows the red truck that police believe to be connected to both incidents, along with a request for people to contact police or an email address — redtruckkiddnapper@gmail.com.
The department said it was not involved in the creation of these flyers or the email address. They ask community members to reach out directly to them with any information they have, not the email on the flyer.
“Make sure that you are contacting the Chesterfield County Police Department, either directly through phone, through the ‘PoliceApp’ [or] through crime solvers,” Payne said.
Cliff Lent, president of the Security Consulting Company M7 Solutions, saw some of the posts about the situation online and is warning residents to be cautious about some of that information.
“I’m seeing it on my Ring app, other people are seeing it on social media. And there’s a danger in that, there’s a danger of misinformation, false information, erroneous information, in a lot of different ways,” Lent said.
Lent also said it’s important to take this time to have conversations with your children about what they should do if they’re ever approached by a stranger.
“Not every stranger might appear sinister. Some of them might appear charming, or they might have a ruse or something that might entice [a potential victim] to come closer to a vehicle,” Lent said.
Police also want to remind parents to keep a close eye on their children and to not just focus on looking out for a specific vehicle. Instead, they urge people to keep an eye out for anything that looks out of place.
“If you see something suspicious, you see a vehicle that’s suspicious, something that, you know, alarms, you call us, we will respond. And then we will do what is necessary to follow up on these leads and tips,” Payne said.
Police strongly urge anyone with information related to either incident to call Chesterfield Police and speak to investigators directly. The department’s Vulnerable Populations Division can be reached by calling 804-768-7536 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., or 804-748-1251 outside of those hours.
