Update: No Richland students are discovered missing after reports of abduction
No students have been reported missing since police were told about a possible kidnapping near Richland High School on Thursday evening.
The school district and police started hunting for a possible missing teen after a 14-year-old student said he saw a boy being grabbed and force into a pickup truck shortly before 5 p.m.
After a day of hunting and asking questions, no one has called to report a missing child, said the Richland School District.
“School administrators have reached out to families of students who were marked absent or had an unexcused absence Friday and have accounted for those students,” said district officials.
The investigation remains active, but police have no evidence that someone was abducted or that there is an ongoing danger.
The school district thanked the student who called police and encourage others to call police if they see anything suspicious.
“The district and Richland High take any reports of harm or danger to students seriously and we will investigate and work with law enforcement whenever we receive these reports,” the district said.
Thursday night report
Police and the school began investigating the claims after a student reported seeing a 14- or 15-year-old boy wearing a blue backpack and a gray sweatshirt forced into a pickup by a muscular man in his 30s, according to police and the district.
Officers asked the public about a silver extended-cab pickup is a 2007-2013 model Chevrolet that appeared to be in the area at the time later this morning.
Police asked anyone who has outside surveillance cameras between Williams Boulevard and Lee Boulevard, Stevens Drive and Thayer Drive, to review the footage and contact police if they believed they have images that relate to the incident.
Detectives were called Friday morning to investigate some items, including a pair of jeans and a student ID card, found near Christ the King School, near Swift Boulevard and Long Avenue.
Police found the card’s owner and verified that they were safe, according to Richland police.
Police are asking anyone whose child is missing to call the department at 509-942-7340.
This story was originally published November 22, 2019 at 9:44 AM.