Reported abduction attempt in Mankato Thursday was fabricated

On Thursday, April 24, a child reported that a person tried to abduct them as they were walking along a street. Mankato Police canvassed the area and worked closely with homeowners and businesses to investigate the reported incident. During the course of the investigation, police obtained video from porch cameras and surveillance systems to help them determine that the event as described did not occur.

“I would like to thank our officers and those who worked with us on this investigation,” said Jeremy Clifton, Director of Mankato Department of Public Safety. “Being able to see video footage from residences and businesses helped move the investigation forward to the point where we knew this was not a credible report.”

Following the investigation and discussions with the parents, the child acknowledged that the report was not true.