Somerville child follows advice, avoids abduction

By Elizabeth McNamara

    At 7:30 Thursday morning, a white taxicab with green lettering approached a 12-year-old girl walking her regular route to classes at West Somerville Community School.
    The cab driver pulled his sedan to the side of the road near North St. and Powderhouse Blvd., promising the girl he would drive her to the Topsfield Fair.  Instead of trusting the stranger, the girl waited for friends and walked to her K-8 school in a group. 
   “She did exactly as the school taught her to do,” said Somerville Lt. Paul Upton.  “She stayed away, remained calm and reported what happened to her teacher.”
    Upton said the driver did not touch or threaten the girl in a violent way, though police still classify the incident as “suspicious” because the car circled the girl’s location several times before leaving. 
    “She deserves a lot of credit in this incident,” he said, commending the girl for avoiding abduction by following directions given by trusted adults in her life. 
    Described as a white male in his 30s or 40s with a mustache and/or beard of a “reddish or brown” color, police say they are not sure whether the driver worked for a Somerville or out-of-town cab service. 
     There is no reason to discredit her report, Upton said; and at the moment there is no evidence to suggest a correlation between either an arrest made this morning near the scene, nor similar episodes recently reported near the Fanueil Hall or Cambridge areas. 
     “We have been aggressively following this all morning,” said Upton.  “We’re waiting to gather all the facts.”
      Police urge any leads or suspicious activity be reported to the department immediately.  Or, if the driver involved in this morning’s event wishes to openly explain the “other side of the story,” that is welcome, too.
     “Our concern is always for the safety of our schools,” said Upton.  “The children are the future; they’re our most important commodity.”