CLEARWATER POLICE SEEKING
CLUES
IN ABDUCTION OF FIVE YEAR OLD CHILD
Clearwater Police are seeking
clues in the apparent abduction of a five-year old child from
the Savannah Trace Apartment complex, according to Clearwater
Police Chief Sid Klein.
Police responded to a 9-1-1
call to the apartment complex located at 2690 Drew Street on the
east side of Clearwater at approximately 6:30 p.m. on Monday,
December 31, 2001. The caller stated that a young male had been
abducted from a parking lot in the apartment complex. Police responded
and immediately began canvassing the area in attempts to locate
the child. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office helicopter with
its forward-looking infrared device was utilized in the search.
Clearwater Police received
a call from the Sumter County Sheriff's Office indicating that
they had recovered the abducted youth near the intersection of
SR 48 and Interstate 75 close to Bushnell at approximately 4:30
a.m. today.
Police detectives drove to
Sumter County to interview the juvenile and obtained the following
description of the suspect and the suspect vehicle. The suspect
is described as a white male, between 5'07" and 5'11"
tall, thin build; with black, possibly shoulder length hair. He
was last seen wearing a black and white jacket, dark blue jeans,
and brown dress shoes.
The suspect vehicle is described
as a white pick-up truck with an extended cab. The truck had tinted
windows with a gray interior and was extremely dirty. The truck
also had either decals or stickers in either the rear window or
on the quarter panels that spelled "Stone Cold Steve Austin."
The truck may also have decals on the sides of ice cream cones.
The juvenile underwent a routine
medical examination, the results of which are not complete and
he was united with his mother this afternoon. Clearwater Police
are continuing to canvass the Savannah Trace Apartment Complex
and Sumter County Sheriff's Deputies are canvassing the area where
the juvenile was found. Both agencies are working hand in glove
coordinating the search for this villainous suspect.
Police do not believe there
to be any connection between this abduction and the disappearance
of Zachary Bernhardt on September 11, 2000 from the same apartment
complex.
Police are asking anyone with
information on the whereabouts of the suspect or a vehicle matching
the description or who may have been on SR 48 or on Interstate
75 this morning to contact them at 562-4242 or CRIMESTOPPERS at
1-800-873-TIPS (8477).
For further information on
this case, contact Acting Public Information Officer Sergeant
Doug Griffith at 727-562-4347.
/s/
Sergeant Doug Barry
Crimes Against Children and Families Unit