A 15-year-old girl trick-or-treating in Kelso fought off a man who got out of a white utility van and grabbed her by the arm, kicking him in the groin to break free before he drove off. Kelso police responded to the report just before 7 p.m. Saturday in the 700 block of Laurel Street, and as of this week they had not located the man or a vehicle matching the description.
According to KGW, police officers were called to the scene at approximately 6:54 p.m. Saturday after the girl reported that a man had exited a white utility van that had been following her along the road before he approached and tried to grab her arm. She was not injured in the encounter, police said. KATU identified the girl as 15-year-old Ariah Chuinard and reported that the reported incident happened around 6:55 p.m. near South 7th Avenue and Laurel Street, with the man following her for a period of time before getting out of the van and grabbing her by the arm.
Girl Describes Fighting Back
Police said the girl broke free from the man's grip by kicking him in the groin, according to koin.com, which reported she was not hurt in the struggle. Her father's account, relayed to KATU, said she was not injured but that the man's grip left a mark on her left wrist. The victim described the suspect as a white male wearing a black hoodie and dark-colored jeans, koin.com reported, while KATU's account added that the suspect was described as a white male in his mid-30s to early 40s wearing the same clothing.
Officers searched the area but did not find a man or vehicle matching the description, per the KGW report. The department also asked nearby residents to review home security camera footage, but the canvass turned up no recordings of the encounter, koin.com noted.
Separate Report Surfaces in Longview
Longview police responded to a separate report involving a similarly described vehicle that may have been following trick-or-treating children, according to KATU, which said the call came in shortly after the Kelso incident. Authorities have not confirmed whether the two reports are connected, and the two Halloween calls should not be treated as an established pattern beyond what police have said.
Kelso police are asking anyone with information to call 360-423-1270. The investigation remains ongoing, and KGW reported that it had reached out to the Longview Police Department for additional comment and was awaiting a response.
