Several attempted child abductions in WilCo leave residents worried
Attempted child abductions in WilCo
Residents in Central Texas are worried about a series of reported attempted kidnappings in the Williamson County area.
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas - Residents in Central Texas are worried about a series of reported attempted kidnappings in the Williamson County area.
Police are still looking for one suspect in Hutto, and said some reports are false.
Attempted child abductions reported in Hutto, Round Rock, and Leander
Hutto and Round Rock police are investigating a report of an attempted child abduction. This is not the first attempted child abduction reported in the Central Texas area.
Round Rock's first attempted child abduction
The backstory:
Round Rock police said on March 13, around 5 p.m., officers responded to the 1500 block of W. Mesa Park Dr. after a man approached a teen and attempted to force her inside his car.
The girl was able to get away when a neighbor helped.
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Joel Maske
Police later found the suspect, 30-year-old Joel Maske.
Maske was booked into the Williamson County Jail and faces charges of attempted aggravated kidnapping.
Round Rock's second attempted child abduction
The backstory:
Round Rock police said on April 8, around 4:30 p.m., officers responded to a report of a man attempting to lure children into a van near the 1700 block of E. Mesa Park Drive.
The children told officers they were walking in the area when a vehicle with two suspects wearing masks pulled up beside them. They said one suspect exited the vehicle, grabbed a child by the arm, and offered candy.
One child quickly intervened, allowing the children to escape and run to safety.
The two suspects then fled the scene.
Officers are actively investigating the incident. No arrests have been made at this time.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Detective Bernie Villegas at 512-671-2709 or email bvillegas@roundrocktexas.gov.
Hutto attempted child abduction
The backstory:
According to Hutto police, the attempted child abduction happened recently.
Two men, driving a white Ford Transit-style van, approached a child in the Riverwalk subdivision. One of the men attempted to grab the child through the open side door of the van.
The child was able to provide the police with a description of one of the men.
Hutto police are now asking for help identifying the suspect.
He is described as a Hispanic man with a tan complexion, tattoos covering both arms, multiple piercings — including an eyebrow piercing — three gold teeth and dark-colored hair with streaks of white or blonde.
Detectives are coordinating with neighboring police departments to see if there are possible links between similar cases.
This investigation is ongoing.
If you have information about this incident or recognize the subject from the sketch, please contact the Hutto Police Department at 512-846-2200 or email HuttoCrimeTips@huttotx.gov.
Other reporting tools open to the public include the Tip411 anonymous text-a-tip system, which allows the public to report information confidentially.
Leander attempted child abductions
The backstory:
Two incidents were reported in Leander.
The first incident happened on April 2, at the Lakeline Apartments at 3000 N. Lakeline Boulevard, involving a four-year-old child.
"Very, very uncommon," said Lt. Mike Mohler with the Leander Police Department earlier this month. "In the 25 years that I’ve been with Leander, almost 25 years that I’ve been with Leander, it’s the first."
The child is safe and was not injured, and no weapons were involved.
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Leander attempted child abduction
Leander police are still searching for a man they say attempted to abduct a child from an apartment complex.
Leander police released a description of the suspect:
- White male
- Approximately 5'9"
- Thin build
- Short dark curly hair
- Last seen wearing a black long-sleeved T-shirt and light-colored shorts; no shoes
Lt. Mohler said they were not able to locate the suspect via drones or K9s, so he’s turning to the public for help identifying him.
The suspect fled the scene on foot southbound from the apartment complex and is still at large.
Another incident was reported on April 11, but Leander police said the allegations were unfounded.
WilCo parents react
Local perspective:
There have been five reported attempted child abductions in two months.
"It’s getting pretty scary," Round Rock resident Sandra Wiley said.
Police are working together to see if there are possible links between these cases.
"So frequent and so close together, one right after the other," Wiley said.
Wiley lives in Round Rock near where two reported attempted abductions happened.
"Now I kind of pick my kids up from school instead of letting them walk, and then I used to let my son take my younger son to the park since it's just down the road, just a couple houses down, and now I don't let him do that either," Wiley said.
Why you should care:
Parents are encouraged to have conversations with their children about safety precautions, and to be aware of their surroundings.
Police are reminding people to stay alert, travel in groups, trust your instincts, share your whereabouts with a friend or family member, and avoid distractions.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Meredith Aldis and previous coverage