15-year-old arrested in attempted abduction of toddler in Eastern Washington

SEATTLE -- A 15-year-old boy has been arrested for the attempted abduction of a child from a park in the Lincoln County town of Sprague, the sheriff's office announced Wednesday.

The teen, who lives in Sprague, was arrested on suspicion of second-degree kidnapping for Monday's snatching of a toddler, who the suspect later dropped as he was being chased by the child's siblings and local residents, Lincoln County Sheriff Wade Magers said in a news release.

"During the last 24 hours Lincoln County detectives focused on a suspect who resides in Sprague," Magers said.  "Additional evidence, interviews, DNA collection, and surveillance was conducted ... A photo montage was also utilized and one of the siblings positively identified the suspect."

The boy was booked into a juvenile facility and recommended charges were forwarded to the prosecutor's office, the sheriff said.

The incident began when the Lincoln County Dispatch Center received a 911 call reporting a man had grabbed a 22-month-old  child from a stroller in a park Monday and ran.

Surveillance video from a grocery store shows the kidnapper running with Owen Wright in his arms, with Owen's siblings chasing after.

Owen's two young siblings yelled and others pursued the abductor.  The kidnapper dropped little Owen in a vacant lot and ran off.



Everyone was safe, but police wanted to catch the suspect before he tried it again.