Carmi Police initially reported last week a case of an older male attempting to get juvenile females to give him their names and trying to get them to get in the vehicle with him at Dairy Queen.
After several follow up interviews and observing numerous video footage from businesses and residents, the police are confident in that this incident was a mistake.
Carmi Police were able to identify the male and speak with him. The male said he was instructed by a female to pick up her young child at Dairy Queen and bring her to Little Giants, where she was finishing up shopping. When he pulled into the Dairy Queen lot, he observed the two young females in the parking lot and believed one of them to be the child of the same age he was supposed to pick up.
He did pull up next to the children, hollered the name of the girl he was supposed to pick up, and told her to get in the car. The girls did not respond, so he hollered, “Did you not hear me? I said get in the car. Your mom sent me to get you.”
He said one of the girls took off running and then the other, and he realized neither of them was the girl he was supposed to be picking up. He then left the lot, parked, and went inside to get the girl who was actually inside and not outside.
Once picking her up, he drove to Little Giants and picked up the mother, who was finished grocery shopping by this time. Carmi Police verified this information with the child’s mother and through video footage.
The Carmi Police Department wants to thank those who witnessed the incident at Dairy Queen for their quick response in calling the police and ensuring the two juveniles were safe. It also wants to thank the businesses and residents who were able to provide video footage of the incident to help resolve the case.
Chief of Police Jason Carter stated, “Thankfully, this turned out to be a mistake. However, with the events that occur all around us now, this is an example of how quickly something can happen and small communities are just as susceptible to occurences. It is important to always pay attention to your surroundings and report any strange occurrences to law enforcement.”
