A truck driver was falsely accused of attempting to grab a teenage girl in social media posts after a police press release was apparently misinterpreted, officials say.
The reported incident happened on Monday, August 22nd in Middleton, Wisconsin.
Middleton Police say that a 16-year-old girl reported walking northbound on Parmenter Street near Middleton High School and Firemen’s Park when a white, unmarked semi truck pulling a white trailer pulled up next to her and stopped. A man then reportedly got out of the passenger side of the cab and asked the girl if she had a boyfriend.
The girl told police that she felt uncomfortable, did not respond to the man, and ran away. When she eventually looked back, she did not see the man or the semi truck. The suspect is described as a tall, skinny, and fit black male with slightly longer than average hair, and gold teeth on the top and bottom.
Captain Jeremy Geiszler told ABC 27 that authorities are aware of “information on social media” describing the incident as an attempted abduction, but that the girl’s report and officer’s subsequent investigation do not support those claims.
Officers are still investigating the incident. If you have any information on this incident or saw it occur, contact the Middleton Police Department at 608-824-7300, Madison Area Crime Stoppers at 608-266-6014, or on the web at P3TIPS.COM. Crime Stoppers tipsters can remain anonymous.