Indiana

Father Finds Man Trying to Stuff Son in Duffel Bag Outside Indiana Home: Police

A northwest Indiana father says when he tried to help a stranger whose car he thought had broken down outside his home, he came outside to find the man trying to kidnap his son. 

The LaPorte County Sheriff’s office said the Fish Lake community resident called 911 Thursday night to report an attempted child abduction.

The man told police that he was with his 1-year-old son in the yard outside his home in the 7400 block of SR 4 just after 6 p.m. when he saw someone get out of a vehicle parked near the end of his driveway, presumably broken down. 

The driver asked the man for some water and the homeowner went inside to get it. When he came out of the house with the water, the man said he saw the driver trying to put the 1-year-old boy in a duffel bag, according to police.

The father physically assaulted the driver and took his son inside before returning to confront the man again, police said. As he went back outside, he saw the driver fleeing in the vehicle that had been parked on the street. 

The suspect was described as being a white man with beard stubble, wearing a white T-shirt and grey camouflage shorts. The vehicle he was driving was a silver or grey 1990s-style minivan, police said.

Anyone who may have seen the vehicle or who has information on the incident is being asked to call the sheriff’s office at (219) 326-7700.

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