Crime and Courts

1 Arrested After Abduction Attempt on Northwestern University Campus

A 28-year-old man was taken into custody for the attempted abduction following a "low speed chase," police said.

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One person was taken into custody late Saturday morning in connection with an attempted abduction on the campus of Northwestern University, according to police.

At around 9:45 a.m., a woman flagged down an Evanston police officer and explained that a man had tried to push her into his vehicle in the 600 block of University Place, authorities said in a news release. The woman said she was walking in the area when the suspect approached her and tried to get her into his SUV. However, she was able to get away.

Minutes later, two Evanston police officers spotted an SUV matching the description of the suspect's vehicle, which had been shared via police radio. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver refused and led them on a "low speed chase" on Chicago Avenue to South Boulevard before eventually pulling over.

The 28-year-old driver, whose description matched that of the suspect in the attempted kidnapping, was taken into custody, authorities said.

Northwestern issued a campus alert about the incident at 10:23 a.m., saying police were investigating an attempted abduction near Scott Hall. At 10:47 a.m., university officials tweeted that the emergency was secure and a suspect was in custody.

Police aren't looking for anyone else in connection with the crime. The victim, an Evanston resident who isn't affiliated with the university, didn't sustain any serious physical injuries, authorities said.

Charges were pending against the suspect on Saturday afternoon.

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