Police investigating after Rexburg mom says daughters were nearly abducted
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REXBURG — Social media exploded this week after a Rexburg mother says her daughters were nearly abducted by two strangers from their front yard.
Shari Kirk says it happened Tuesday afternoon at their home on E. 2nd N. and police are reminding parents to be vigilant this summer.
Kirk says 11-year-old Kenedy and 5-year-old Quinlee were playing in a small pool when two “strange individuals” in a black car with tinted windows drove up to their curbside.
“The guy parked right there next to our yard and the passenger got out,” Kirk recalls her daughters saying. “From what Kenedy told me, he banged on the back passenger door and they unlocked it before grabbing some rope.”
Kenedy says a man in his 20s with long dark hair wearing a gray shirt and jeans started taking the rope and a net from the car while the driver waited. He then “charged at them” and got halfway across the yard before Kenedy grabbed Quinlee and ran.
“I knew that if I screamed maybe they would go away and they wouldn’t do anything,” Kenedy says.
Her mother adds, “Kenedy was just hysterically screaming, ‘MOM! MOM! MOM!’ and then she started screaming, ‘The kidnappers are here!'”
Kirk heard her daughter and ran outside but saw no signs of anyone in the yard.
“I called the police and told them exactly what happened. They were here within five minutes,” Kirk says.
Multiple officers from the Rexburg Police Department arrived at the Kirk’s house on E. 2nd N. Police searched the area and couldn’t find anybody matching the descriptions of the suspicious men.
“We are investigating it,” Rexburg Police Captain Randy Lewis tells EastIdahoNews.com. “We treat these things very serious and we encourage folks to call them in.”
Lewis says this incident serves as a reminder for children and parents to always remain alert of their surroundings.
Kirk posted about the incident on Facebook to warn other parents and the message spread quickly across east Idaho.
She says she appreciates the police responding so quickly and is thankful her daughters are ok.
“They would have been gone and I don’t know if we would have ever gotten them back,” Kirk says.