Reported kidnapping at school unfounded

Cathy Scott

Thursday, Feb. 26, 1998 | 10:17 a.m.

The beginnings of a mass police search at Derfelt Elementary School Wednesday for a child believed to be kidnapped turned out to be a false alarm.

The fear was that a child had been abducted by a man who has recently been prowling school-age children and trying to lure them into his car, Metro Police said. Patrol cars raced to the school to begin searching for a child until the school was able to account for all of its students.

Three third- and fourth-grade girls just before 9 a.m. were outside the school on South Lisa Lane near Oakey Boulevard and Durango Road when they saw what they believed was a girl being forced into a red sports car, police said.

But a search of the school's 773 students showed that 25 were absent and accounted for, Sgt. William Minor said.

The effort turned out to be a good drill for both students and administrators, Clark County School District Police Sgt. Ken Young said.

"The administration acted really fast," Minor said. "They did what they were supposed to by calling Metro and school police."

Lisa Raya, mother of a kindergarten boy, said her son "is very aware."

"You have to teach them," she said. "There are too many creeps out there."

Susan Goin, the mother of a kindergarten girl, said the false alarm was a good drill.

"These kids need to know about this guy," Goin said. "The kids need to watch out for each other. What happened today is really good. They reported it right away."