Attempted abduction reported in Longwood

LONGWOOD, Fla. — Longwood police are investigating after a teenager said a man tried to abduct him as he was jogging on Sunday.

The teen told police he was running with a friend along Longwood Street near Orange Avenue when a man jumped out of the woods near the railroad tracks and grabbed him.

The teen’s father, Albert Northrup, said he told his son to be home in 15 minutes and when 30 minutes passed, he tracked his son’s phone using GPS and drove the half mile to where it was pinpointed.

“Both of the boys just ran up to the car really fast,” Northrup said. “They were in a panic, they were in tears. They asked to get in the car really quickly and didn't want to tell me what was going on.”

“They told me a man came out of the woods and attacked them and tried to drag my son into the woods,” said Northrup.

Police said because it was dark, the teens didn’t get a good look at the man, making it hard to provide details for a sketch.

“If the two boys aren't able to come together as far as a portrait or anything like that, it's going to be hard to go from there,” said Sgt.. Jim Hockenberry.

Longwood police told WFTV it’s the first attempted abduction they’ve had in the area. Anyone with information is asked to contact police.

WFTV