Tacoma toddler nearly abducted: 'I was kinda in shock ... it's my backyard, in middle of the day'



TACOMA -- Police were investigating an attempted abduction of a 2-year-old from her backyard in Tacoma Wednesday.

Police said three siblings, ages 9, 7 and 2, were playing in their backyard at about 5 p.m. in the 3100 block of South 17th Street when the older two children went to get some toys and heard their 2-year-old sister screaming.

When they turned around, police said, they saw a black man picking up their sister and trying to pull her over a fence. They both ran at the man screaming, which caused the man to drop the toddler and take off, police said.

A parent came running out and called 911.



The mother of the children, who asked that she only be identified by her first name, Tina, said she couldn't believe what had happened.

"I was kinda in shock ... it's my backyard, in the middle of the day," she said.

The suspect was described the children as a black man with a beard, with a medium build and height, wearing a jacket, black beanie and blue jeans.

The Tacoma Police Department asked that public be on alert and keep watch on your children as this happened during daylight in a residential neighborhood.