LEXINGTON, Mass — Lexington Police are asking neighbors on Wood Street to check any surveillance footage they may have from Thursday afternoon to gather more information about a report of an attempted abduction.
Police say a 9-year-old girl told adults she was playing in her backyard off Wood Street when a masked man dressed in black grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth. The girl reportedly kicked the man and escaped. The suspect took off, according to the report.
Authorities are asking the public for footage between 1:15 and 2:30 pm.
The girl’s mother, Ashley, has been working alongside police to gather more information.
“I don’t feel comfortable in my own home at all,” she told Boston 25 Friday. “My kids are just traumatized.”
Neighbors near the Lexington home were still stunned 24 hours after the reported incident.
“This is a very safe neighborhood, very quiet,” said neighbor Anand Ananthakrishnan. “Things like this don’t happen.”
David Finkelhor, director of the Crimes Against Children Center at the University of New Hampshire, told Boston 25 that a stranger abduction attempt is rare, but incredibly serious.
There are only a few dozen each year across the country.
He added, “This is the kind of thing that results in post-traumatic stress.”
Lexington Police told Boston 25 this is an active investigation, and they will inform the public of any new details when appropriate.
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