Mum recounts chilling moment man attempts to abduct 11-year-old boy

A mother has revealed the horrifying moment her 11-year-old son was approached by a stranger in a van in a suspected abduction attempt in Melbourne’s east. On Monday, November 18 about 3.45pm, an 11-year-old boy was on his way home from school, walking down Halley St in Blackburn when he was approached by a white van, driven by a man with dirty, matted, blonde hair. The boy told his mother that the man pulled over to the side of the road and tried to speak to him. “He wound down the window to talk to him and said, ‘Your mum said I was supposed to pick you up from school’,” the mother, who does not wish to be identified, told 7News. The boy’s mother explained her son was “quite confused” and told the man “no” before leaving the scene and walking home. When the boy arrived home, he immediately locked the doors and told his mum about the incident. “He was pretty distressed and pretty frightened,” she said. His quick-thinking reaction was commended by his mum, who congratulated him for not falling for the stranger’s comments. “We’re really proud of him, he did everything right in a very stressful situation,” she said. A few days after the incident, Detective Acting Sergeant Joanne Morrison spoke to the boy and commended him for his bravery. “He wasn’t tricked by the male, which I think should be commended,” she said. “He was obviously quite frightened by the incident at the time. I have since spoken to the child — a few days later — and he actually appears to be coping very well, and is very brave.” Sargeant Morrison has urged parents to create a plan with their children and have regular conversations about what to do in the event of a similar situation. Police have released CCTV footage of the van and a computer-generated image of the man, urging the public to be cautious and report any suspicious activity. Local units have been completing regular patrols and investigators have been speaking to the education department, which has informed local schools of the situation. Police have urged the public for information about the man, who is described as caucasian looking with “dirty, matted, blonde hair” and about 30-40 years of age. Despite the ongoing investigation, police are yet to determine the van’s registration plates. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.