Petaluma: Police investigate possible attempted kidnapping

Bay City News Foundation

PETALUMA — Police in Petaluma are investigating a possible attempted kidnapping that occurred Wednesday.

On Thursday, the Petaluma Police Department received a report about a possible attempted kidnapping that had occurred the prior day in the 100 block of Ellis Street.

Police said a 12-year-old girl, who attended a local junior high school, had reported the incident to a school counselor.

The victim reported her father picked her up from school and dropped her off near the intersection of Madison and Ellis streets at around 2:15 p.m. so she could walk home.

She said an older white van with many dents, black rims, tinted windows and a derogatory word beginning with the letter “F” spray painted in black on the passenger side door followed her on Madison Street.

The van then pulled next to her, and a man got out of the passenger door and grabbed her.

The victim was able to break away from the man and run home.

She said the van then drove away.

When the victim got home, she only told her mom a van had been following her, and the incident was not initially reported, police said.

The incident occurred near McKinley Elementary School near Ellis Street.

Officers have canvassed the area and have tried to locate witnesses or surveillance cameras in the area that may have recorded the incident the prior day.