CLEARWATER POLICE SEEKING
CITIZENS HELP TO FIND CHILD ABDUCTOR
Clearwater Police are asking
for help in locating the suspect and suspect vehicle in a child
abduction incident that occurred on New Years Eve, according to
Clearwater Police Chief Sid Klein.
By way of background information
- Clearwater Police at approximately 6:30 p.m. on New Years Eve
responded to a 9-1-1 call of an abduction that occurred in the
Savannah Trace apartment complex located at 2690 Drew Street in
Clearwater. A statewide broadcast was made to law enforcement
agencies and the media in efforts to locate the abducted child.
(See news release of January
1, 2002)
The five year old was found
at approximately 4:30 a.m. on New Years Day by a citizen near
a dumpster near the intersection of SR 48 and Interstate 75 in
Sumter County, Florida some 80 miles north of Clearwater.
Detectives have interviewed
the youth 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.
Police have learned today that
the suspect and the youth stopped several times during the nearly
10-hour ordeal between Clearwater and Bushnell. At one point the
suspect stopped and got himself something to drink, but nothing
for the victim. The victim has been unable to identify locations
or directions of travel. Due to the victim's age, police are proceeding
slowly in their questioning of him.
The Clearwater Police Department
is the lead agency in this case and is working diligently with
the Sumter County Sheriff's Office. Both agencies are working
together in coordinating the search for this suspect. Clearwater
Police have activated their major case tip line, and is asking
the public to call 727-562-4422 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS
(8477) with any information on the whereabouts of the suspect
or the suspect vehicle.
For further information on
this case, contact Acting Public Information Officer Sergeant
Doug Griffith at 727-562-4347.
/s/
SID KLEIN
Chief of Police