News

Reported abduction attempt turns out to be misunderstanding

SEATTLE — Seattle police said a report of an attempted abduction of two children from an after-school program at an elementary school Friday was really a misunderstanding.

Authorities said before 3:45 p.m., a man approached a staff member at Coe Elementary, located in the 2400 block of Seventh Avenue West, and said he was there to pick up two children.

According to police, the man knew the full names of the children and claimed he was there to pick up the kids on behalf of their father. The man said their father was having car troubles.

The staff member told the man he needed to show ID in the program’s office before signing the children out.

When the man didn’t show up at the office, staff contacted the children’s father, who said his car was not broken and did not send anyone to pick up his children.

Staff members then notified police.

After an investigation into the incident, detectives said Monday that an emergency contact was in fact attempting to pick up the children on behalf of their parents.

The children were not in any danger and detectives have closed the case.