A girl told authorities she was walking near First Street and Shields Avenue when a man approached her and asked whether she wanted a ride, Shaffer said. We're looking at it as a suspicious circumstance. The man in that incident did not match the description of the man in the other three incidents this week. Whenever we have a situation like this, you don't want your kids to be unsupervised when they are outside. Farmer said police were researching their files to determine whether any sex offenders had been released recently from jail or prison or were living in the area.
Police believe the kidnapper wants to get to an isolated area to molest children.
Similar kidnap attempts are not unusual in the area. Police said she was taken during daylight hours in front of witnesses. Several children and lifeguards were across the street at a neighborhood swimming pool. No arrest has been made in that case. Nearly three years ago, a suspect stalked young boys in Visalia.