Parents alert after attempted kidnapping at Skagit Co. park

Parents alert after attempted kidnapping at Skagit Co. park

05:02 PM PST on Tuesday, March 3, 2009

By ROB PIERCY / KING 5 News

BURLINGTON, Wash. - Parents are on alert after police say a man groped and tried to kidnap a girl from Skagit River Park, a popular place for parents to bring their children.

It happened Sunday afternoon, when an 11-year old girl at the park with her family got cold and decided warm up in the family car.

Once she was inside and just out of sight of her parents, a man driving a car pulled up alongside.

When the girl got out, the man jumped out and started groping her.

"And tried to grab her as she walked away; she screamed," Burlington Police Detective Scott Butler said.

The man let her go, ran back to his car and sped away.

The girl was OK but frightened, and so are parents.

Police don't have a lot to go on.

The girl described her attacker as a white man in his 40s wearing a cap.

Police have been looking at known sex offenders in the area, but so far have come up empty.

The young girl also told police there was a car seat in the back of the attacker's car, holding what appeared to be a toddler.

Anyone with information should call the police.