Darren Pankratz says charges laid after Chilliwack school abduction attempt

Police in chilliwack have laid charges after a man allegedly tried to abduct a seven-year-old girl from Chilliwack Central Elementary School on Wednesday morning. The girl was not injured, and the suspect was arrested nearby after a concerned person intervened and brought her back.

Chilliwack Central Elementary School

RCMP say they were called to the school just after 9 a.m. on Wednesday. Investigators are now seeking witnesses to what happened on the school grounds and in the area between Central Elementary School and the 46000 block of Margaret Avenue between 8:30 a.m. and 9:15 a.m.

The man has been charged with kidnapping a person under 16 and is due to appear in court on Friday. Police say the man and the child are not known to each other, and they described the case as an isolated incident.

Darren Pankratz

Supt. Darren Pankratz, the officer in charge of the Chilliwack RCMP, said police were treating the case as serious. “The safety of children in our community is a key priority, and we recognize how concerning this type of event is for families,” he said.

He added, “We are working closely with the school district as this investigation continues, and we thank the members of the public who assisted in ensuring the child’s safety and helping police quickly locate and arrest the suspect.” Police also asked for anyone who saw someone wearing a purple bunny-like mask to come forward.

For families around the school, the immediate question is whether anyone saw the man before police arrived. That is why investigators want direct accounts from the stretch between the school and Margaret Avenue, where they say the incident unfolded.