Girl Grabbed While Trick-or-Treating on Halloween by Man Who Followed Other Children in Van, Police SayMadison E. GoldbergWed, November 4, 2026 at 5:24 AM UTC
Stock image of police car sirensCredit: Getty
Police are searching for a man who allegedly grabbed a young girl who was trick-or-treating on Halloween night and followed other children in a white van in Kelso, Wash.
The girl reportedly escaped after kicking the suspect in the groin
The case remains inactive due to limited leads as authorities ask the public for information
Police say a man grabbed a girl who was trick-or-treating and followed children around in a van on Halloween night in Kelso, Wash.
The young girl was allegedly grabbed by the arm on Saturday, Oct. 31, and escaped after kicking the man in the groin, the Kelso Police Department said in a press release.
Police were dispatched to the 700 block of Laurel Street around 7 p.m. on Saturday to find the suspect. Another caller reporting seeing a white van trailing children who were trick-or-treating, The Oregonian reported.
The girl told police that the suspect was wearing a black hoodie and dark jeans, police said. The girl’s identity has not been publicly released.
Police could not find a white van or suspect matching the descriptions. Officers also spoke with neighbors to see if anyone had camera footage of the incident, but none did.
KPD Capt. Mark Berglund told The Oregonian on Tuesday, Nov. 3, that the case is currently “inactive” due to “an absence of leads” on the man’s identity.
The Longview Police Department received a similar report of the van. Anyone with information pertaining to the suspect is asked to contact KPD at (360)423-1270.
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PEOPLE has reached out to KPD.
Source: Crime
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