Spotsy Officials Try to Calm Nerves After Kidnapping Scares

Spotsylvania County law enforcement and school officials outlined steps designed to "provide a feeling of safety" to county residents shaken by a spate of recent attempted kidnappings. 

Earlier today, Spotsylvania County Sheriff's held an investigative strategy meeting with detectives looking into four attempted kidnappings in Spotsylvania County. The Sheriff's Office will have beefed up patrols from 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. around residential communities and school bus stops. Investigators will also canvass neighborhoods to try and find out more information on the cases. 

"We will continue the additional patrols indefinitely to ensure that all citizen's feel like they are safe in their daily lives," said Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Michael Timm in a press conference.

The Sheriff's Office will also be passing out a bilingual flier to hispanic businesses to try and sniff out Jacinto Osael Hernandez-Andrade, the suspect sought in an October 13 attempted kidnapping. The sheriff's office has also shared information on Hernandez-Andrade with the Department of Homeland Security and Interpol.

"The sheriff's office is treating all of these incidents as credible and using appropriate investigative techniques in all of them," said Timm. "We are sharing and exchanging resources and information with numerous other law enforcement agencies." 

The sheriff's office is asking that parents be prudent when sending their kids outside, suggesting that young children walk in groups or with older siblings or parents on their way to and from school bus stops.

"You should feel safe conducting your day to day activities, however, as earlier statements have indicated, take appropriate precautions regarding personal safety," said Timm.

Timm said that the Sheriff's office has no significant leads into the cases, and was unable to explain the wide variation in suspect descriptions, ages and races provided by the victims.