Attempted abduction reported in Cottage Grove

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A 14-year-old girl told Cottage Grove police that a middle-aged man urged her to get into his pickup truck as she walked to her bus stop on 70th Street South at Meadow Grass Lane Monday morning.

The girl was walking along 70th Street in Cottage Grove when a dark-colored Chevrolet pickup pulled up alongside her, according to a Cottage Grove Police Department press release.

The man, about 40 to 50 years old, asked the girl if she needed a ride. When she said "no," he insisted that she get in the car and accept his offer, the press release says.

The girl then started to yell, "stranger, danger," and the man drove off.

On Wednesday morning, the police had received no other reports of similar incidents, said Sgt. Steve McCarthy of the Cottage Grove Police Department.

The man is described as balding on top with shorter brown hair on the sides and a goatee. His truck is described as a late-model Chevrolet four-door with whip antennas and lights under the tailgate.

The Cottage Grove Police Department is seeking information from anyone who might have been in the area and seen the vehicle. Anyone with information can call (651) 458-2801.

Tags: crime and courts, hastings, abduction, news