Attempted abduction of 2 children in Johnson City; person of interest identified

Child abduction in Johnson City

The Johnson City Police Department is investigating the attempted abduction of two children.

JOHNSON CITY, Texas - The Johnson City Police Department is investigating the attempted abduction of two children and has released photos of a person of interest in the case.

Police later reported on Wednesday that the person of interest has been identified.

What we know:

Johnson City PD posted on Facebook about the incident on June 16 at around 9 p.m.

Police say the incident happened in the 300 block of North Winters Furr in Johnson City.

One child was able to escape and run to safety.

The second child was taken by the suspect to a gas station off of US 281. 

The child's father was notified, and he was able to safely recover the child.

The suspect fled from the scene.

Person of interest

Johnson City police later released photos of a person of interest at a gas station.

The woman was described by witnesses as:

• Above average height
• Between 30 and 40 years old
• Brightly dyed orange/red hair
• Multiple tattoos, including one of the state of Texas on her leg

"The subject was not a stranger to the area, however she was a stranger to the girls and the father," Chief Justin Losoya with the Johnson City Police Department said. 

This person has since been identified, police say.

What we don't know:

Johnson City PD and the Blanco County Sheriff's Office responded and attempted to locate the suspect.

At this time, the suspect has not been located and the investigation is ongoing.

Police have not publicly identified the woman in the photos despite saying she has been identified.

What you can do:

Authorities urge the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity or information that may help in identifying and locating the suspect.

If you have any information, you're asked to contact Johnson City PD or the Blanco County Sheriff's Office. You can also call 830-768-7111 or email jlosoya@johnsoncitytx.org and reference case number P25060014.

While police say abductions are rare in Johnson City, always keep an eye on your kids and know where they are. 

"Everybody here knows everybody's kids, so if you see something suspicious, somebody who doesn' t look like they belong around the kids to let someone know," Losoya said.

"I do want parents to continue to be vigilant, we do have a lot of increased traffic and strangers in the community right now, just with it being summer and just a heavy travel time," Mayor Stephanie Fisher said.