Police investigate attempted abduction of 17-year-old at Langford, B.C. shopping centre

Police on Vancouver Island are investigating an alleged attempted abduction of a 17-year-old girl from a Langford parking lot.

West Shore RCMP said the incident happened shortly after 5 p.m. Monday outside a Shoppers Drug Mart at the West Shore Town Centre on Jacklin Road.

According to police, the girl was leaning into the back seat of her own vehicle when a man approached and shoved her into the car and shut the door.

A second man then tried to get into the car through the driver’s side door, police said in a Tuesday media release.

The girl was able to react quickly and use her key fob to lock the car before anyone else could get into the vehicle, police said.

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A bystander who saw the incident taking place yelled at the suspects, at which point they fled on foot around the side of the drug store towards Kelly Road, police said.

“We would like to make the public aware of this as it is a concerning investigation into an attempted abduction,” Cpl. Nancy Saggar said in the release.

“We have had no similar complaints of this nature, we believe this incident is isolated. The investigation is ongoing, and police would like to speak with the bystander who scared away the suspects.”

The first suspect is described as being in his late 20s or early 30s, between six-feet-tall and six-foot-two and having facial hair and a beard. He was wearing dark-coloured pants and a dark-coloured hoodie, and may have had a tattoo of swirl patterns on one hand.

The second suspect is also described as being in his late 20s or early 30s with facial hair and a beard, wearing dark pants and a dark hoodie.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has video shot in the area around the time it happened is asked to contact Wrest Shore RCMP at 250-474-2264.