Mpls police report 3rd attempted abduction in month

A 16-year-old girl used a knife to escape an attempted abduction in north Minneapolis on Tuesday, the third such incident in the city this month.

The girl was walking down a street when a vehicle pulled up along side of her and someone in the car asked her to come with him, according to police spokesman Sgt. Stephen McCarty.

"She refused," so a man got out, grabbed her and forced her into the vehicle, McCarty said. She escaped after reportedly threatening the abductor with a knife.

Police said they have identified a possible suspect.

Earlier in the week, a 14-year-old girl told police a man had tried to grab her as she walked near the Midtown Greenway. Earlier in the month, a 12-year old girl told police a man in a van was following her as she rode her bike near Todd Park in south Minneapolis. Police aren't sure if the cases are related.

The abductions prompted Minneapolis Public Schools to send out a recorded message to parents.

"We have recently been informed that the Minneapolis Police Department is investigating recent attempted abductions," the message says. "Please take a few minutes to remind your child not to listen to, talk to, or approach strangers."