Police believe two men were involved in an attempt to grab a young girl off the street late yesterday afternoon at Hawks Nest.
One of the men jumped out of a white Jeep SUV on Monterra Avenue just before 6pm and tried to drag the girl to the car, but she managed to break free and in the process allegedly scratched the man in the face.
The scratches present forensic opportunities and another clue which may help track down the culprit/s.
Detective Superintendent Wayne Humphrey says they can't say whether or not the 9 and 10-year-old girls are local, but they are still helping police with inquiries.
"The girls are well, they're actually still with detectives at the moment and there are significant resources being tipped into that Hawks Nest area as we speak just doing canvassing,""It is holiday time, I can't say if the car is a local car or if the car is from out of town so we've got a lot of work to do up there at the moment," said Superintendent Humphrey.
The man's described as being aged in his 40s, balding with grey hair, and was last seen wearing a black t-shirt.
Police say in light of this incident and the ongoing investigations, parents and children need to be alert, not alarmed and practice stranger danger and if you do see something suspicious contact the police.
"Again I make that appeal, at around 6pm last night in Monterra Avenue at Hawks Nest, if there was, in fact, someone or someone saw a white Jeep SUV, I'm led to believe it was more of an older style but we are relying on a 9-year-old's description, they should contact the local police and let us know what they see," said Superintendent Humphrey.
EARLIER:
BY IAN CROUCH
A young girl has managed to escape the clutches of a man who tried to drag her into his car at Hawks Nest.
The 9-year-old was walking her dog with her 10-year-old cousin just before 6.00pm on Thursday along Monterra Avenue when the girls saw a white Jeep SUV do a u-turn near Carmarra Crescent, with the driver pulling up in front of them.
Police say the male driver got out and grabbed the 9-year-old by the arm and started pulling her towards the vehicle, but she managed to break free and the two girls ran for help.
Port Stephens Police are investigating the incident.
The man's described as being aged in his 40s, balding with grey hair, and was last seen wearing a black t-shirt.
Anyone who can assist Police with their inquiries is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
