CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — What was initially thought to be an attempted kidnapping at a Butts Road Primary School bus stop Monday morning turned out to be a misunderstanding, the Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office said.
Superintendent Dr. Jared A. Cotton sent an email to parents earlier in the day, letting them know of an incident in which he said a Butts Road Primary parent reported a white van had approached the bus stop and the driver called out the name of her daughter, claiming to represent Chesapeake Public Schools, and the driver had instructed the child to get into the van. The note said the parent was nearby and asked the driver for identification, at which point the driver drove off.
The Sheriff’s Office, after further investigation, determined that what was believed to be an attempted kidnapping was a misunderstanding. They located the driver of the white van, a neighbor of the child, who “was attempting to tell the family that the school bus had already driven by and the student would need a ride to school. Due to a language barrier, there was a miscommunication.”
The Sheriff’s Office said no charges would be filed.
The superintendent’s letter to parents called for them to have their children be cautious around strangers and report any suspicious behavior to a trusted adult immediately.
