A Central Texas school district is now among the agencies taking steps to prevent children from being abducted after a kidnapping attempt in Moody last week.
According to media reports, the Moody Independent School District is strengthening security and altering athletic running routes for the school’s sports program after an unknown man grabbed a 16-year-old cross-country runner and student at Moody High School by the arm during a jog about 6:30 a.m. on Oct. 1.
The girl was able to kick the man and get away, but police and school officials say they’re taking steps to deter a possible abduction.
The attempted Moody abduction is the third such attempt in Central Texas in the last few weeks. On Sept. 20, a 10-year-old Lampasas girl rode her bike to the end of a driveway in the 700 block of West Third Street when a gray, short-bed pickup truck pulled up with two men inside.
One of the men apparently asked the girl to get in the truck, but she refused. The man started to walk toward her, but then the girl’s sister came around the house and saw what was going on.
Both girls ran off and notified their parents, who called police.
The suspects are both described as white men wearing white-colored hats, possibly straw, with dark facial hair. The man who exited the truck is believed to be about 6 feet tall and medium build.
According to Sammy Bailey, a criminal investigator and Lampasas’ assistant chief of police, the Texas Rangers are helping with the investigation.
“We have a forensic artist with the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers Division, helping us,” Bailey said.
Media reports said the Texas Rangers are also assisting an investigation into an attempted abduction on Fort Hood Thursday.
With three attempts in a few weeks, Moody ISD said they aren’t taking any chances and told KCEN-HD they’re installing cameras given to them by the local police department.
“We've also taken precautions in making sure our lighting in the areas that were a little darker have now been lit," Moody ISD Superintendent Chane Rascoe, told KCEN-HD. “In addition to that, we're looking to install cameras that were provided from our local police department and city administrator have donated those to us and we're in the process of updating those as well.”
Bailey advised parents to watch and listen to their children in order to avoid a possible abduction.
“Any time kids tell parents that somebody stopped and talked to them and made them uncomfortable, they need to tell their children that they need to get away from them and notify their parents,” Bailey said in September. “Their parents need to notify law enforcement immediately.”
