Dona Ana County Sheriff’s detectives investigating two attempted child abductions

Doa Ana County Sheriff’s detectives are looking for information related to the attempted abduction of a 12-year-old boy and a separate, possibly related, incident involving a teenage girl.

Sheriff’s deputies say on Christmas Day they were called to an area near Apodaca and Snow Road south of Las Cruces after a couple reported that their daughter had been approached by two men wearing ski masks on an ATV.

The girl told her parents the two men rode by where she was walking and told her to “get in” the ATV. The victim described the ATV as burnt orange in color with a windshield and a steering wheel instead of handlebars. Deputies say the girl then ran back home and told her parents about the incident.

On Dec. 29, 2015, deputies were called to the Pic Quik convenience store on South Main near Tortugas after a 12-year-old boy said an unknown white man threatened him with a knife and told him to get in his van. The boy told deputies he was scared, and did what the suspect said. The suspect drove off and when the van came to a stop, the boy said he hit the man in the face and quickly got out of the van, running to a vehicle that was behind the van for help.

The boy described the van as an older model, dark in color, possibly dark blue or purple.

Detectives assigned to each case are not sure if the incidents are related.

Anyone with information on either case is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or send a tip by text message to CRIMES (274637), keyword LCTIPS. Tips that lead to an arrest are eligible for up to a $1,000 reward.

The Crime Stoppers number and text messaging services are operational 24 hours a day and you do not have to give your name to collect a reward.