9-year-old escapes after man abducts her as she walked from bus stop, VA cops say

A man has been arrested after trying to abduct a 9-year-old walking home from a bus stop in Virginia, officials said.

The girl was walking home from the bus stop in the Embrey Mill subdivision in Stafford County just before 3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28, when a man, identified as 34-year-old Steven Randall Williams, walked up to her and asked her for directions, according to a Facebook post from the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office.

“He then grabbed the young girl and carried her to his car and put her in the passenger seat,” the sheriff’s office said.

But the girl was able to escape from the car as Williams walked around to the driver’s side.

Investigators later took out an “arrest warrant for abduction” against Williams, according to the sheriff’s office.

The sheriff’s office’s SWAT team tried to serve the warrant at his home around 9 p.m., but he barricaded himself inside, the sheriff’s office said.

“SWAT held the perimeter while the Drone Team flew a drone through the home. The Crisis Negotiation Team attempted to communicate with Williams, but he would not respond,” the sheriff’s office said. “Chemical munitions were deployed, but Williams still refused to exit.”

During the standoff, residents were told to shelter in place and to stay away from the area.

After about 5 hours, law enforcement sent a K-9 into the home to find Williams, and he was arrested, the sheriff’s office said. Williams is being charged with abduction.

The sheriff’s office said Saturday, Jan. 29, that he is being held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond. No other information had been released as of Sunday, Jan. 30.

Stafford County is about 67 miles north of Richmond.

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