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Mom says stranger told 2-year-old to ‘come play with him’ during abduction attempt

Posted at 6:10 PM, May 24, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-24 18:34:50-04

PETERSBURG, Va. -- A Petersburg mother of two is speaking out just days after a man attempted to abduct her two-year-old daughter from their apartment.

Tuesday Morning, the young mother stepped into her kitchen while her two-year-old was in the living room, eating cereal in the recliner.

"I didn't even hear my door open and all of a sudden I hear a man inside my house calling for my daughter to come play with him outside," said Devon Spillane.

Within seconds Spillane says she saw the stranger with her toddler in the living room.

"She doesn't understand stranger danger," said Spillane, speaking about her two-year-old daughter. "She ran right up to him and next thing I know, he had grabbed her by her arm."

Devon Spillane

"I was scared," she added.

At that point, the terrified mother ran to the door of the apartment, yanked her daughter back and told the stranger to get out.

"'I do not know you, please get out of my home' and he had let go of her and just stepped out and I slammed the door closed," said the mother.

Frightened and scared, Devon called the police. Officers were called to the apartment complex in the 1800 block of Boydton Plank Road at 8:05 a.m. for a report of an attempted abduction.

Officers searched the apartment complex but couldn't find the suspect.

Spillane says she and her family have lived at Jefferson South of the James Apartments for just under a year and have never had any issues but now...

"It scares me... like there's a high possibility this happening again and them not being so lucky," said Spillane.

Petersburg Police describe the suspect as a light complected and thin black male, about 25 years old with a beard. He was seen wearing a red hat and a bright colored shirt.

Anyone who has information that could help detectives is asked to call the Petersburg Bureau of Police at 804-732-4222 or the Petersburg/Dinwiddie Crimes Solvers at 804-861-1212 or by sending a tip by downloading the P3tips App to your phone or by going to P3tips.com.This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can submit a news tip here.

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