Sheriff’s office: Reported child abduction near Maud determined to be unfounded
BOWIE COUNTY, Texas — A reported abduction near Maud that fueled a wave of social media posts this week was unfounded, according to the Bowie County Sheriff’s Office, and investigators say there is no threat to the public.
On Tuesday, Aug. 19, deputies responded to County Road 1102 near Maud after a 7-year-old child approached a residence and reported that he had escaped from a vehicle that picked him up down the road.
Bowie County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Pat Wrinkle investigated the incident, questioning the child as well as his grandmother, who lives a short distance away. According to the sheriff’s office, the child gave two differing accounts of what happened, and his grandmother expressed little concern that the story was truthful.
Investigators say the child did not have permission to be outside or to leave his residence, and the reported abduction is believed to have been an effort to avoid punishment from his caregiver.
The sheriff’s office said it issued a press release in response to widespread, inaccurate social media posts about the incident, in order to dispel reports of a public risk in the area.