Update Thursday 11 a.m. — The Wilmington Police Department has effectively retracted this statement after discovering the man in question had done nothing wrong and was attempting to pick up the daughter of a friend, and the mother’s request. READ MORE
WILMINGTON — Following a suspicious event two weeks ago, authorities are asking for the public’s help to identify a man who may have been attempting to kidnap an eight-year-old girl.
According to the Wilmington Police Department (WPD), the incident happened on Wednesday, Jan. 9; at around 3:30 p.m. officers responded to the area near Sixth and Nixon streets after being alerted to a possible kidnapping attempt.
WPD reports that a man approached a New Hanover County School bus a stop and asked for an eight-year-old female student by name. According to WPD, neither the bus driver or the bus monitor recognized the man; when asked, the student also said she did not know the man.
The driver kept the student on the bus and traveled to the student’s regular stop, where the student’s mother was seen.
According to WPD, “the suspect is described as a black male in his mid-twenties with black, curly hair and a mustache. He was wearing a gray t-shirt and dark blue jeans. He was driving a white sedan.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact WPD at 910.343.3609 or use Text A Tip.
