No children have been reported missing in Cochrane or the surrounding area following reports of a possible abduction Thursday afternoon, RCMP have confirmed.
Police in the community received reports around 4:17 p.m. on June 9 that a child, possibly 10-years-old, was picked up from the sidewalk near Willows Playground and placed in a dark blue Jeep Cherokee. A young person told their parents that they saw the incident take place and told their parents, who in turn contacted police.
RCMP said in a release Thursday night that the young possible victim was dressed in blue, while the driver of the vehicle they were put in was a clean-shaven man wearing a CAT hat with yellow letters.
Investigators began canvassing the areas searching for additional witnesses and video footage of the area.
Police asked anyone who may have information that the report may have been a misunderstanding to contact them.
Cpl. Gina Slaney said officers were continuing to investigate the “serious report” Friday morning but that at the time no children had been reported missing.
“We’re still investigating, but I can tell you that no one has reported in Cochrane or anywhere else,” said Slaney. “Officers are still out there covering all their bases.”
The report comes just over a week after RCMP in Strathmore, about 95 kilometres from Cochrane, responded to reports that a girl had been forcibly abducted in that community and taken to a home before she was able to escape.
Police have since released the description of two suspects in the case. One suspect is described as light-skinned and clean-shaven with long black hair and blue eyes. The second suspect is described as having light-coloured skin and is clean-shaven.
Slaney said Friday there are no updates in that case and the two cases have not been connected.
Slaney said she believes the community is being vigilant with the latest report and said that is a good thing.
“I think everybody’s being extra diligent and we should be that’s the way life is now, we need to be extra careful and protect our children,” said Slaney.
She said RCMP encourages people to take extra safety tips such as ensuring children are with friends and teaching “stranger danger.”
