By: Richard L. Smith
Police in Newark seeks the public’s help identifying a suspect, who was captured on surveillance video attempting to lure an 8-year-old child away from a gas station convenience store on December 13.
According to police, officers responded to reports of the incident, which occurred at approximately 4 p.m. at the Delta Gas Station, located in the 800 block of Clinton Avenue.
Police say the child, a passenger in a transportation van, had gone into the gas station convenience store for a snack while the driver was getting gas.
An unknown female approached the girl and asked about her age and the whereabouts of her parents.
Police say the woman then grabbed the girl’s hand and escorted her out of the gas station’s mini-mart, but the child was able to break free from the woman’s grasp and run away into the transportation vehicle.
The woman, however, boarded the van and got into an altercation with the driver, who drove north on Fabyan Place and west on Clinton Avenue with the woman inside.
Police said when the driver reached South 19th Street and Clinton Avenue, she stopped the vehicle and the woman was removed from the van by a passerby.
Director Fragé urges anyone with information about the suspect and the vehicle to call the Police Division’s 24-hour Crime Stopper tip line at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-
8477).