A young boy was approached by an unknown man who allegedly tried to touch him in a public toilet during a game of school cricket.
The 12-year-old had been at Adelaide’s South Terrace park around 9.30am on Saturday when he went to the public toilet alone.
An unknown man allegedly followed him inside and tried to approach him.
The child was able to escape the toilet and raise the alarm with his father, who called the police.
The 12-year-old had been in Adelaide’s South Terrace park around 9.30am on Saturday when he went to the public toilet alone
A witness and fellow parent, Ekta Suri, said she believed the man who approached the boy was homeless
A witness and fellow parent, Ekta Suri, said she believed the man who approached the boy was homeless.
“He was just going to the toilets and a homeless guy tried to get in and tried to touch him and grab his hand,” she said Nine news.
“He was really scared, he was brave, I would say, and he just shook himself off, ran away and came to tell us what happened.”
Children were playing just meters away from the suspected kidnapping attempt.
“It’s the last thing on your mind, children playing, it’s such a safe area, such a safe place,” Ms Suri said.
Police officers and dogs searched the park landscape on Saturday.
The man is described as white with an orange beard and orange or brown, dirty straight hair in a mullet style. He also looked disheveled.
No arrests have been made and detectives are not yet looking for the suspect.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Police combed the parkland with police dogs but could not find the man who was described as a disheveled-looking white man with a mullet.