Abilene family describes alleged kidnapping attempt in their backyard, suspects claim misunderstanding

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – As an Abilene mother faced a major scare for all of her parents Thursday afternoon, suspects in an attempted kidnapping allegation say it was a huge misunderstanding.

Mother Veronica Nunez told KTAB/KRBC it was just after noon when an unknown vehicle stopped at their home on the 200 block of Graham Street, calling her young son to ask if he wanted to a lap while he played on the front lawn.

“My mom was looking out the window and this car stopped right there… They stopped right here and said, 'do you want to take a ride?' “But I said no, I told them to go away,” Nunez's son described, pointing to the street in front of their house.

The boy remembers that two men he did not recognize were inside the car. His mother immediately rushed outside to hold her child close. At that point, she said the men stopped, heading south on Graham Street at a slow speed, stopping for a moment, then leaving for good.

“An adult should not talk to a child, especially from a car on the street. This is simply not true,” Nunez said.

Having no idea what these men might have had in mind for her son, Nunez was relieved to learn that stranger danger is a topic they have discussed in the past. This lesson was well learned and applied when the situation presented itself on Thursday.

“You need to prepare yourself, and especially your children, for things like this to happen. You don't expect it to happen, but it clearly did… If I wasn't watching for him and it was too late, what would I have done? It would have been too late,” Nunez warned.

Cleverly, the young boy insisted, “I’m just listening to my mother.” I don't listen to strangers. Just listen to your family.

As the car sped away, Nunez grappled with what had almost happened, saying she didn't get a good look at the vehicle but managed to snap a photo that she gave to the police. police. This photo and footage from a nearby neighbor's Ring doorbell contributed to their ongoing investigation to find the men in the car.

KTAB/KRBC contacted the owner of the vehicle in question, who said it was a big misunderstanding.

According to the vehicle's owner, his 15-year-old daughter and two friends found a puppy on the street nearby. The mother asked the teen to take the puppy to the animal shelter and on the way, they asked the little boy playing in the front yard if he wanted to keep the creature.

The family discovered the misunderstanding when the APD investigation led them to the teen's father's workplace.

Although it turned out to be a false alarm at best, the scary situation serves as a reminder to teach children about the safety and boundaries of strangers.