The Bobster
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2 men wanted for attempting to abduct teen girl at Willow Grove Park Mall: police
Police are looking for two men they claim attempted to abduct a 14-year-old girl at Willow Grove Mall on Wednesday night.
www.cbsnews.com
2 men wanted for attempting to abduct teen girl at Willow Grove Park Mall: police
By Ross DiMattei, Howard Monroe, Matt Petrillo
July 13, 2023 / 12:49 PM / CBS Philadelphia
WILLOW GROVE, Pa. (CBS) -- Two men are wanted for allegedly attempting to abduct a 14-year-old girl from the Willow Grove Mall on Wednesday. Police said it happened around 7 p.m. at the mall in Abington Township, in the 2500 block of Moreland Road.
Abington Township police believe the two men were working together to try to abduct the teen in the middle of the mall.
The teen told police she was going down the mall escalator from the second floor to the first. When she got to the bottom, she says she met one of the men who identified himself as Alex.
According to police, the man asked the teen to walk with him. He allegedly extended his arm as if he was going to escort her.
When the teen told the man she was underage and tried to step away from him, police claim the man grabbed her arm, placed it in his and started leading her through the mall.
Shortly later, police said the girl broke away from the man's grasp and immediately started screaming and running away.
Several bystanders witnessed the altercation and stepped in to prevent the man from approaching the teen again but couldn't prevent him from getting away, police said.
After investigating further, police believe he was working with another man.
The two men took off in a dark gray Dodge or Chrysler minivan or crossover-type vehicle such as a Dodger Journey, police said.
Police said the main suspect had a few defining features, including a dark "C" on his shirt and a unique leather bracelet with a braided metal know on his left wrist.
Investigators also believe the men are connected to another incident involving a 13-year-old girl just 30 minutes prior to the attempted abduction at Willow Grove Mall on Wednesday.
They also believe the two men could be involved with a third incident that happened in June involving another teen girl in a Bucks County mall.
If you recognize either of the men in the pictures, you should call Abington police.