A report of an apparent child abduction in Hermiston on Monday turned out not to be the case.
The Hermiston Police Department reported that a passing motorist informed them of a possible in-progress child abduction on the 400 block of S.W. 11th St.
According to the HPD, several uniformed and plain-clothes officers responded to the area. Officers spoke to the reporting party in person and were able to locate the vehicle and individuals involved.
According to the Cpt. Scott Clark, it was determined the incident was not an abduction, but a case of an adult male and his young niece who were waiting for a ride from a family member.
Clark said the reporting party was re-contacted and told of the situation. Clark said the department encourages everyone to report all suspicious activity.
“We would much rather have members of the public call us to report suspicious activity when they see it, as this could be that little advantage we need to stop an in-progress crime,” he said. “Please don’t second guess yourself or be embarrassed about calling the police, because we prefer to learn that something which may look like a crime, was in fact not a crime. We appreciate and thank all of our community partners.”
Clark said emergencies should be reported to 911 and non-emergency calls should be made to the HPD office at 541-567-5519.
