The nerves have not yet settled down for Rich Allen. His son had just had just stepped off the bus from Sabold Elementary on Wednesday when the suspect approached.
"He said to my son, 'Hey kid, you dropped your Phillies hat,'" Allen said.
Rich's son replied that it was not his hat. The suspect answered back, "It has your name on it."
The startled 9-year-old then ran into his home which is just a block away from the Morton Police Department.
The suspect took off in an older model gray or silver 4 door with a missing hubcap on the passenger side.
"The scary part was he left the car running and he was actually approaching my son and walking towards him, that's the scary part," Allen said. The Springfield School District sent home a letter with all students detailing the abduction attempt.
The suspect is described as 6' tall with a tan complexion. He was wearing a black knit cap, wire glasses, a gray shirt and gray sweatpants. Officers say if anybody sees anything or anyone suspicious to call police.
Allen says he's proud his son did the right thing and ran, but the incident has left him and his family with a troubling reminder.
"It could happen anywhere, you don't take it for granted, and I did take it for granted. My son gets dropped off and 2 seconds he's in the door here he's being approached. In the blink of an eye, your son or daughter could be taken away from you. It's scary," Allen said.
A few months ago there was a reported abduction attempt not far from this same location, but police don't believe the two are connected.
