Crime

Police investigation finds Sunday morning abduction “did not occur”

UPDATED: March 18, 5:15 p.m.

An attempted abduction of a Syracuse University female student early Sunday morning never happened, police determined after an investigation.

On Sunday night, a Department of Public Safety notice was sent out, alerting students that an unidentified male driving a Jeep approached a student as she walked alone on the 700 block of Maryland Avenue at about 3:30 a.m. earlier that day. According to the notice, the student approached the vehicle to give the man directions, the man asked her if she wanted to get in the car and then grabbed her wrist. The student was able to break free, and the man left traveling down Euclid Avenue toward campus.

But after interviewing the student, Sgt. Tom Connellan of the Syracuse Police Department said police officials found her story was “inconsistent.”

“You go into these things with an open mind but in this case, she changed her story,” he said.



An email sent out to students by DPS on Monday afternoon called the incident “unfounded” and said it “did not occur.” SPD has closed the investigation, according to the email.

DPS Chief Tony Callisto was not immediately available for comment.





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