Council Member Cara Mendelsohn of District 12 in northern Dallas recently sounded the alarm Monday night about attempted child abductions in the area.
“Far North Dallas, I am shocked to have to share with you it appears two attempted abductions of children occurred today. One near Hillcrest & Campbell and another in Richardson near JJ Pearce. Parents, please consider this information carefully,” Mendelsohn posted on X.
“I have spoken with the police Major and Asst Chief about these cases this evening and will get another update tomorrow. [There] is video of both incidents. Watching it, I am thankful no child was hurt. Either incident could have resulted in tragedy,” she wrote.
Mendelsohn’s office relayed the information it received about the attempted abductions from the Dallas Police Department to The Dallas Express.
“On August 12, 2024, at around 2:40 p.m., Dallas Police responded to a report of an attempted kidnapping in the 16900 block of Old Pond Drive. The preliminary investigation determined a group of children were outside when they were approached by a young Hispanic male in a white SUV, asking one of the children to look at something in the back of his vehicle,” DPD had informed Mendelsohn’s office.
“The child ran, with witnesses reporting the suspect chased the child a short distance. The suspect then left the location. Dallas Police are looking for the involved white SUV, a Toyota Four-Runner, Texas license plate number THS9209. The second possible vehicle involved is a dark-colored Chevy pickup truck. The suspect is described as a young Hispanic male wearing a white shirt, and Dallas Police are actively investigating the incident,” DPD had said.
According to data from the City’s crime analytics dashboard, there have been 123 kidnappings or abductions committed this year as of August 12, marking a 16% spike compared to the same period in 2023. Some 16 of the victims this year were under the age of 18.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, most abduction victims in the city have been black or Hispanic.
DPD has been struggling for years with a significant staffing shortage. The department only has about 3,000 officers deployed in the field, despite a City analysis recommending that roughly 4,000 are necessary to maintain public safety and reduce police response times.
Budgeting only $654 million for DPD this year, Dallas City Council members chose to spend less taxpayer money on public safety than other high-crime jurisdictions like Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City.