PORTLAND — Police on Friday said quick responses from an alleged victim and nearby adults helped prevent a possible May 5 abduction on Ocean Avenue.
Lt. James Sweatt said Christopher Bennett, 23, of Waterboro, was charged with terrorizing and violating conditions of release, and Nathan Desfosses, 26, of Shapleigh, was charged with operating with a suspended or revoked license.
Sweatt said Bennett was a passenger in a truck driven by Desfosses when the men allegedly approached a 10-year-old boy walking on Ocean Avenue. Bennett allegedly ordered the the boy to get into the truck. Instead, the child dropped his backpack and fled.
Two people stopped to assist, Sweatt said. One helped the boy find a neighbor and alerted school staff at Ocean Avenue Elementary School. The second person flagged down a police officer who then found and stopped the truck at 570 Forest Ave. at 3:45 p.m.
Sweatt said the incident is a good opportunity for parents to review safety tips with their children and recommended kidsmartz.org.
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