Attempted kidnapping of children a 'misunderstanding'

Conway police said Friday that a kidnapping attempt reported by two children earlier in the week was a misunderstanding.

The children, ages 7 and 10, said a man had stopped his pickup in front of them on Eve Lane and opened his door while they waited for the school bus Wednesday morning.

The pickup was recognized in the neighborhood and once investigators interviewed all parties involved, it was discovered that the children mistakenly thought the man was reaching for the girl, said Major Mark Elsinger, public information officer for the Police Department.

The passenger of the pickup, Elsinger said, noticed the door not closed properly and opened it to close it completely. The boy, 10, saw this happen near his younger sister and thought the men were trying to grab her, Elsinger said.

"We do not have a kidnapper running around Conway," Elsinger said.

Kids should always report suspicious activity, Elsinger said, especially when it involves possible abduction.

"The kids did great," Elsinger said. "They panicked, which is fine."

Elsinger said e-mail messages circulating about an attempted kidnapping at Kentucky Fried Chicken are unfounded.

"I don't know if this is one of those urban legends, but we don't know anything about an incident occurring at KFC," he said.

The Conway Police Department also recently responded to the following incidents:

Theft

Michael Cowan of Conway said that between December 2003 and Thursday, his boat worth $29,000 was stolen from Sportsman Boating Center on North Creek Drive. Cowan said when he arrived to check on his boat, the business had closed and the boat was gone.

Timothy C. Ward of Sunderlin Park Drive said that between 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Thursday, a jewelry box and its contents were stolen from the residence. The estimated loss value was $1,600.

Lawrence B. Ahne of Monroe Street said Thursday that at an unknown time, a set of keys and $12,000 in cash were stolen from the residence.

Arrest

Cheryl Ann Powell, 49, of Conway was arrested at 9:41 p.m. Thursday on Jim's Lane on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

William Terry Halcrombe, 49, of Spruce Street was arrested at 1:08 p.m. Thursday at his residence on suspicion of aggravated assault after reportedly threatening a police officer with a sling shot and a walking cane.