The Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) has suspended the investigation into an alleged attempted child
abduction, after the child who made the claim on Thursday morning recanted her story.
After searching for a suspect and investigating the case throughout the day, investigators scheduled a
forensic interview with the 12-year-girl late Thursday afternoon. Following the interview, she disclosed to
investigators that no one tried to abduct her while she was waiting for the school bus on East Main Street at Old Cornelia Highway.
Investigators now believe a neighbor verbally greeted the child from his porch. She became scared and ran home, making up the story about an attempted abduction. Investigators will not pursue charges.
Deputies from the HCSO Uniform Patrol Division, Criminal Investigations Bureau, K9 teams, Intelligence Unit and Drone Unit worked on the case. HCSO was assisted by the Gainesville Police Department and Georgia State Patrol.
“While this was an unfortunate situation, the important things to remember are that the child is safe and
there isn’t a kidnapper at large,” Sheriff Gerald Couch said. “I would like to thank members of the community for keeping their eyes open throughout the day and also our deputies, investigators and law enforcement partners for their diligent work.”