Richland County, SC (WLTX) -- Deputies in Richland County are searching for a man they say walked into a two-year-old's classroom, picked the child up who approached him, and left after employees knew he did not have a child at the daycare.
According to investigators with the Richland County Sheriff's Department, a man in his mid-20s walked into a daycare in Irmo at about 4 p.m. Wednesday and told employees that his child was enrolled in the school.
When asked who his child was, the man changed his story, telling them he wanted to enroll his child in the daycare, deputies say.
At that point, deputies say employees asked the man to sit in the lobby to wait for a tour of the facility.
Employees told deputies that the man walked into a classroom full of two-year-olds, where a child approached the man.
That's when deputies say the man picked up the child and told employees that his mother had been killed in a car accident earlier in the day.
According to employees, they asked the man to put down the child after finding out that the child was not his.
Then, the man left getting into a dark older model pickup truck, deputies say. Investigators say the child's mother called the sheriff's department inquiring about the man's actions after the incident.
Deputies say the man is about 6-foot-2 in height, weighs about 170 pounds. He wore a white ski hat, a dark hoodie, according to investigators. The incident is still under investigation.
You are urged to call CrimeStoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC or text a tip to "CRIMES" beginning with the term "TIPSC."
11/14/2009 11:26:09 AM
