Six-year-old taken in broad daylight

By Michelle Webster
Updated November 7 2012 - 12:35pm, first published February 14 2010 - 10:25pm
FRANTIC SEARCH: Police yesterday scoured the area where the girl was abducted for evidence. The girl was snatched just metres away from her mother.  Picture: Les Smith
FRANTIC SEARCH: Police yesterday scoured the area where the girl was abducted for evidence. The girl was snatched just metres away from her mother. Picture: Les Smith

WAGGA police have put out an urgent call for witnesses after a six-year-old Mount Austin girl was abducted for about an hour and a half yesterday morning. The young girl had been walking along Macleay Street just before 11.30am when she was snatched, just metres away from her mother, by an unknown male driving a white Toyota Hilux ute.Police said the man pulled up next to the six-year-old and grabbed her before driving northbound towards the Wagga CBD.The girls' mother is understood to have run after the car and was able to get a good description of the man and his vehicle.He is described as being about 40 years of age, medium build, with light coloured receding hair.The man was driving a late model white-coloured twin cab Toyota Hilux utility, with registration plates starting with BD, DB or similar. The vehicle is believed to have a white tray back, possibly with a bullbar. There was also a yellow barrel in the rear tray.Shortly after the girl was abducted, police cordoned off the immediate area and conducted a frantic search of the surrounding streets and nearby Wagga Botanical Gardens, inspecting a number of vehicles close in description being driven by the offender. Taxi drivers across Wagga were also alerted to be on the lookout for the vehicle.The girl was reunited with her distraught mother just before 1pm after she was returned to nearby Bolger Street.A police spokesperson yesterday said the girl was "quite traumatised" and would undergo a medical examination.It is believed a potential witness followed the Hilux for a short distance from the scene, prior to returning to the scene. Police are appealing for this witness to contact Wagga Wagga Police on (02) 6922 2599.Wagga Detectives have established "Operation Shell" in relation to the investigation and are being assisted by locally-based Joint Investigation Response Squad officers. "This investigation is being treated with the utmost priority and every effort is being made to locate the offender," Wagga Crime Manager, Detective Inspector Dale Holmes, said. "At this stage, no further information is available in relation to the specifics of the incident, as the child and potential witnesses are still being interviewed by police," he said.Police are appealing to anyone in the vicinity of McLeay Street or Wagga Botanic Gardens about 11.30am -1pm who may have seen the ute to contact police.Anyone with information about the vehicle or driver is urged to contact Wagga police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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