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A ten year old Allenhurst boy fought off an attempted child abduction on Saturday afternoon, after a man tried to pull him into a van near Deal Lake.

The incident occurred at approximately 2:25 p.m. as the boy was leaving the Deal Lake area, where he had been fishing, according to a statement issued by Captain Michael Schneider of the Allenhurst Police Department.

As the boy walked toward the Allenhurst train station parking lot, a white male suspect grabbed him by his shirt and tried to pull him inside the back of a “white work van,” Schneider said.

“The boy was able to break free of the suspect’s grasp and run to a nearby business, where they called 911,” he said.

The suspect was wearing a black sweatshirt, and the white van had bars on the back windows and what appeared to be a “palm tree design” on the rear license place, Schneider said.

The van was last seen heading northbound on Lake Drive, where its only egress from the area would be at Main Street and Cedar Avenue, he said.

“We…are checking on any, and every, possible lead in the case, including possible video surveillance from nearby businesses in the area,” said Schneider. “The police are as disturbed about this incident as anyone.”

If a white van is seen in the area, Schneider suggested contacting the police department immediately.

“This incident is especially troubling because these types of crimes are extraordinarily rare in Allenhurst,” he said.

“This case will remain an open and active investigation with the hope that further leads become available,” Schneider said. “The intended victim is doing well, hours after the incident, considering what he had gone through.”

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