Potential child abduction at Willits school now called false alarm

WILLITS, CA., 5/11/17 — The Willits Police Department is now reporting that the suspected potential child abduction that was reported last night was in fact a false alarm. Upon review of security footage, no evidence of an abduction could be found, and the child, who is five years old, has since changed his story. However, the mother of the child, Shanoa Mitchell, publicly contradicted the WPD’s story on Facebook.

Yesterday afternoon rumors went out about a potential child abduction at a local elementary school, Blosser Lane Elementary. The incident was notable in that Mitchell posted a video of herself on Facebook, recounting the story, in evident distress. Then she stated that her child had said that a man attempted to abduct him, had picked him up, and tried to run off with him. She added that when she had called out for the child the man had dropped him.