Williamson County residents are facing heightened anxiety as a spate of child abduction attempts sweeps through the area. In a pattern disturbingly emerging across the county, authorities have noted six incidents stretching from Austin to Leander in the last month alone, with half of these occurring just this past week. Sebastian Zamarripa, a longtime inhabitant of Round Rock, voiced his alarm to CBS Austin, admitting, "I have never seen anything like this before."
The latest in these unsettling events took place in Leander around 3 p.m. on Friday. Indicating an undercurrent of fear, residents now reckon with the reality that such dangers lurk potentially just around the corner. Rose Henry, a Riverwalk subdivision local, expressed her concerns to CBS Austin, “It's kinda crazy that it's near here,” and adding the perturbing coincidence, “My brother actually just had a baby yesterday, so a little concerned about that because he lives in the apartments right up here in Hutto."
In a particular case that highlights the urgency of the situation, the Hutto Police Department has issued a statement regarding an attempted kidnapping in the Riverwalk subdivision. A child was approached by two men in a white Ford Transit-style van, with one attempting to forcibly grab the child through the van's open side door. The Hutto Police Department shared a detailed suspect description, crafted with the assistance of a Texas DPS Forensic Imaging Specialist, identifying the individual as "a Hispanic man with a tan complexion, tattoos covering both arms, multiple piercings, including an eyebrow piercing, three gold teeth, and dark colored hair with streaks of white or blonde." This information was sourced from a report by KXAN.
With the investigations pressing forward, detectives are fervently coordinating with neighboring jurisdictions to determine whether these instances are connected. Community members are implored to be extra watchful, as Zamarripa suggested to CBS Austin, a need to significantly increase police presence: "I think it would help," he said. "I could get the police down here and patrol this area. Things are just going on, and they don't seem like they're stopping." The Hutto Police Department encourages anyone with relevant information on the Leander incident or who recognizes the suspect from the sketch to contact them at 512-846-2200 or email [email protected].
