Teen Says Masked Men Forced Him Into Van

Last updated on Wednesday, April 3, 2013

(INDIANAPOLIS) - Indianapolis Metropolitan police are investigating a teenager’s report that masked suspects forced him into a van and drove him around before he escaped.

According to an IMPD report, the eighth-grade student was walking to the Immaculate Heart of Mary School around 7:25 a.m. when the van approached him near 57th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. According to the teen, two people got out of the front, grabbed him and "tossed him inside" the van, where a third suspect awaited.

The third suspect hit him "several times using his left and only and held him" while the van continued on. The teen described the vehicle as a white, full-size maintenance vehicle without any rear windows, according to the report. The teen also said a partition with a small sliding door separated the front passenger area of the van from the back.

The teen was inside the van for 20 to 25 minutes, according to the report. Eventually, the masked suspects started whispering among each other. The teenager heard several words, including "schedule," "central" and "8:30," the report said.

When the van stopped, the teenager forced the rear doors open with his shoulder. He told police the suspect in the back was distracted while talking with the other two people in the front.

The van pursued him briefly after his escape, although no one got back out of the vehicle. The teen told police he ran away, cutting through yards and over fences until he couldn't see the van. He ended up at school, and the first call to IMPD came in at 8:23 a.m.

Administrators put the school on lockdown after the encounter. The case remains under investigation.