As the new school year begins, a heightened sense of caution has emerged among parents, fueled by recent attempted kidnappings in Texas that were caught on camera. These frightening incidents are reminding other parents about the importance of educating children about how to respond to potentially dangerous situations, especially as they return to school, where they might be walking or waiting at bus stops alone.
The Attempted Kidnapping
In a shocking incident captured by a doorbell camera and shared by ABC affiliate WFAA, two attempted kidnappers approached a group of 9-year-old boys who were playing outside a home in Texas. Gina Skolnick, the mother of two of the boys, described the harrowing moment when her son, Zachary, got her attention.
“We were on the sidewalk when I heard the drivers telling my friends to get into their car,” Zachary recounted. Recognizing the danger, the boys took off running and screaming for help. Moments later, the video shows a man getting out of a white SUV and chasing after Skolnick’s other son, Jonathan, trying to lure him into the vehicle with the promise of a football player.
Jonathan’s quick thinking and refusal to go along with the stranger’s request saved him from a potential kidnapping. The suspect fled when he noticed Skolnick on the front porch with a cell phone, but not before she managed to capture a photo of the vehicle’s license plate.
