Law enforcement officials are advising the public to keep doors and windows locked as the search for the suspect in a Friday afternoon abduction continues.
Authorities recovered a gold 2009 Dodge caravan they believe to be the vehicle used when a 12-year-old girl was taken from her Jamestown home around 4 p.m. Friday. The girl was taken from her residence near Benedict and Harris avenues to an area of Scott Hill Road in the town of Poland where she managed to escape from her abductor.
District Attorney David Foley said the girl then ran to a neighbor and called 911. She received medical treatment Friday and was returned safely to her family.
Foley said no other details about the girl's escape or her abduction were being released due to the ongoing investigation.
''The outcome could have been different had she not been able to get away,'' Foley said.
Police are now on the lookout for a slim white male, between 5'4'' and 5'9'' with blond hair in his mid 20s to early 30s.
Foley said the nature of the crime concerns law enforcement. Particularly that it was an in-home invasion.
''A 12-year-old girl was taken from her home,'' Foley said, ''that heightens all of our concerns.''
Forensic investigation units are processing the minivan, which police say was taken from a Pomfret dealership sometime Monday night or early Tuesday morning. The vehicle's plates were stolen from a residence in Cassadaga.
''We are advising people to keep their doors locked and take precautionary measures,'' Foley said.
Police are asking for the public's help with any information which may help with the investigation. Foley said gas station, convenience store and fast food employees in particular may have crossed paths with the suspect or may have seen the vehicle.
Police believe the suspect may have also frequented informal camping sites in the area.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Jamestown Police Department at 716-487-7537. Along with Jamestown police, the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Department, state police and FBI are involved in the investigation.