EUGENE, Ore. – After reports of an attempted kidnapping near the University of Oregon campus over the weekend, police say evidence is lacking to back up the rumor.
Just before 2 p.m. on Sunday, 911 started receiving calls from people reporting a social media post that said a female was forced into a vehicle in a kidnapping. The callers weren’t able to provide information on who posted the information.
The vehicle was reportedly a black newer-model pickup truck, and reports indicated the incident happened at 599 East 13th Avenue and Patterson Street.
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People in the area reported hearing a scream. A caller reported seeing a man approaching a parked vehicle at Nova Urgent Care on East 13th Avenue and making a shushing gesture before the screaming stopped. The man reportedly walked away and the vehicle drove off.
Police responded to the area but were unable to find the truck or the man involved.
Officers investigated and tracked down security cameras showing the parking lot. Police said the footage shows a man flagging down a car, which parked at the lot, and the driver getting out and embracing the man. A child was briefly brought out of the car and put back in the backseat, but did not seem to be in distress.
No one who has spoken directly with police has claimed to witness a female being forced into a vehicle.
