South SF Police: Man Who Grabbed Boy Wasn't Trying To Kidnap Him
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Police in South San Francisco now believe that a man who grabbed a 12-year-old boy in a McDonald's bathroom on Saturday wasn't trying to kidnap him, as was initially thought.
Officers were called to a McDonald's restaurant at 587 El Camino Real on a report of an attempted kidnapping at 3:30 p.m., South San Francisco police Sgt. Bruce McPhillips said.
The boy had been in the restroom when a man came out of a stall, grabbed him in a bear hug and lifted him off the ground, prompting him to scream and run for help, police said.
The boy's father and a restaurant manager were not able to locate the suspect and called police, who started investigating the incident as an attempted kidnapping.
An alert citizen read about the case and contacted police with information about the man, who was identified and contacted.
Investigators learned that the man in question is mentally challenged and now believe he may have just been trying to be friendly by giving the boy a hug, police said.
No further investigation was necessary, police said.
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