A Somerset, Massachusetts, man is facing attempted kidnapping charges, accused of trying to lure two 13-year-old girls into his car behind a store in Swansea Thursday afternoon.
Michael Nutbrown, 60, was arrested Friday and charged with attempted kidnapping. he is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Fall River District Court.
The two girls were walking down a bike path that runs behind the Target store next to Milford Road when a man approached them and asked if they wanted a ride, Swansea police said.
Surveillance photos show the man's dark blue, four-door sedan that police say is possibly a Hyundai Sonata.
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According to police, Nutbrown was captured on surveillance video in the Target parking lot minutes earlier.
Officers said he could be seen removing items from the front and back seats of his car and placing them in the trunk - apparently to make room for the girls.
He then allegedly walked away from the vehicle and stared down the road, in the direction of where the girls were walking, before approaching them.
“We would also like to commend these brave young girls for doing the right thing and avoiding a stranger who approached them and then telling a trusted adult about the situation," Swansea Police Lt. Mark Foley said in a media statement. "In addition, we would like to take this time to remind the public, especially parents with children, to travel in groups, there is safety in numbers, and stick together. Do not accept a ride with anyone who is a stranger and keep your distance if an incident such as this arises. If you find yourself in such a situation, make noise, draw attention, and run to a trusted adult."
