INFORMATION RELEASE

The Juneau Police Department is asking the public to assist with finding vehicles and witnesses who may have information about two open cases that concern the endangerment of children. JPD is investigating the possibility the two cases are linked.

On February 10th, 2014, JPD put out a press release concerning a possible child enticement incident that happened the previous Friday, on February 7th, 2014. That case involves two men in a Toyota pickup. The passenger offered an 11 year old girl a ride and she ran away.

Officers did locate a couple of vehicles thought as possibly involved and showed the girl pictures of those vehicles, which were not identified as the vehicle involved, but additional details emerged. The pickup is dark blue, but lighter than navy blue. The taillights were broken. The black canopy had the back window missing but the canopy had intact side windows. There was wood sticking out the back of the canopy. ?Toyota? is spelled out across the tailgate and the letters are partially missing, either faded or peeled off.

The driver of that pickup was in his fifties and had a black and gray beard. The passenger, the one who spoke to the girl, was Caucasian, in his thirties and wore an olive green baseball hat and a tan Carhartt coat.

The press release about this incident sparked a report from a man who saw what appeared to be an attempted child abduction in July of 2013. That incident was not reported to law enforcement due to a miscommunication between the witness and a person he told who he thought would report it for him. After hearing of the latest event he decided to personally come into JPD and report what he saw last summer.

The man reported that sometime between about July 12th and 19th of 2013, he was at the bus stop closest to Walmart along with two 8 or 9 year old girls he did not know. A man in a maroon Ford Ranger with Texas plates with a black canopy parked between the bus stop and the Walmart building. The driver was leaning back in the driver?s seat but the witness could see him watching the girls through the tinted back side window of the extended cab pickup. The witness asked the girls if they knew that man and they said they did not. After about ten minutes, the man got out of the pickup and approached the girls, offering them a ride. The man was Caucasian, about six feet tall and thin, in his late 40s or 50s. He was also described as having black hair with some gray in it and a goatee. When the girls said \"No? to the offer of a ride the man grabbed one girl by the arm and started pulling her toward the pickup.

The witness punched the man several times in the face and the girl broke away. Both girls then ran across the street into Switzer Trailer Park. JPD did not receive any reports from parents identifying the girls. Officers would like to speak with the two girls.

Anyone with information is encouraged to log on to the Juneau Crime Line Web site and report their tip.

Crime Line is a non-profit organization composed of a cross-section of the community and is designed to aid police agencies in their investigations. Tipsters are guaranteed anonymity and given a number when claiming a reward of up to $1,000.00. If you have information on this or any other crime, log on to http://juneaucrimeline.com