Abduction attempt on student in Longlac, Ont.; OPP seek two male suspects

Ontario Provincial Police are still searching for two male suspects after a student was grabbed and nearly pulled into a vehicle in Longlac on May 6.

OPP hunt two suspects after girl grabbed near Longlac school

Ontario Provincial Police are continuing their search for two suspects connected to an alleged abduction attempt in Longlac, Ont., CBC.ca reports.

The incident took place on May 6 at approximately 8:45 a.m., near the intersection of Nishnabe Miikena and Picnic Point Roads. According to an OPP media release issued on May 9, a student from Notre Dame de Fatima French School was approached by a beige-coloured vehicle carrying two male occupants.

"One male was said to have exited the vehicle, grabbed the student by the hand, and attempted to pull her toward the vehicle," the release states. "The student was able to escape and safely reach the school."

In a follow-up update issued roughly one week after the incident, police provided additional detail on the vehicle. Officers described it as "a beige or brown coloured midsized truck matching the style of a Hyundai Santa Cruz or a Honda Ridgeline."

The driver is described as a white man with light-coloured hair, believed to be in his late 30s to early 40s. The passenger is described as a Black man with black hair, also estimated to be in his late 30s to early 40s.

Police are also seeking to identify a female witness who may have been walking in the area at the time. OPP Sergeant Theresa Wabason said investigators do not yet know who she is.

"We're hoping that she knows who she is and realizes that we need her help and that she'll come forward and help us out with our investigation," Wabason said.

Longlac is a community of approximately 1,300 people situated within the municipality of Greenstone, about 300 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay. It borders Ginoogaming and Long Lake 58 First Nations, both of which declared a joint state of emergency earlier this week citing escalating violence and safety concerns linked to alleged drug trafficking activity.

Wabason urged residents to report anything unusual surrounding the time of the incident.

"We're asking anyone with any information who may have seen anything, heard anything, whether it be the night before or a few nights before — anything suspicious or out of the ordinary. People know their town. They know who's there on a regular basis. So we're really relying on people in the area, if they've seen or heard anything, to contact the Greenstone OPP," she said.

The Conseil scolaire de district catholique des Aurores boréales, the Catholic district school board serving the Greenstone area, issued a statement to CBC News following the incident. The board said it is working alongside police on prevention and awareness initiatives, including a planned visit by officers to speak directly with students.

"The school is taking this situation very seriously. As a precaution, staff have reviewed personal safety guidelines with students and recommended that they walk in pairs or small groups. We have also sent communications to parents to keep them informed," read the statement provided by a spokesperson on behalf of the director of education.

Police are additionally encouraging parents and guardians to speak with their children about personal safety measures and how to respond if approached by an unknown adult.

"Talk to them about stranger danger, who are safe people, who are not safe people, how to react if they are approached by a stranger. And certainly if any child is approached by a stranger they should make noise, draw attention to themselves and certainly report it as soon as possible to the police," Wabason said.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Greenstone OPP directly. Anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers.

Source: Global News Crime