13-year-old girl escapes attempted kidnapping in Chicago's Portage Park, police say

Published June 30, 2026 5:33 PM CDT

A 13-year-old girl narrowly escaped an attempted kidnapping Tuesday morning on Chicago's Northwest Side, police said.

The backstory:

The incident occurred between 8:30 and 8:45 a.m. in the 4100 block of North Central Avenue in the Portage Park neighborhood.

According to Chicago police, the 13-year-old girl was walking southeast through Portage Park after entering at Berteau Avenue and Central Avenue when she noticed a man walking northeast through the park with a gray or black dog.

Police said the man got the girl's attention and attempted to lure her.

The girl quickly went into a nearby building, prompting the man to flee the area. She then alerted park officials about what had happened.

Suspect's description:

Police described the suspect as a white man between 50 and 60 years old who is about 5 feet, 8 inches tall.

He has a gray goatee and was last seen wearing a tan or brown oversized T-shirt and tan or brown long shorts. He was accompanied by a gray or black dog.

What you can do:

Anyone with information about the incident or the suspect is asked to contact Area 5 detectives at 312-746-6554 or submit an anonymous tip at CPDTIP.com. Reference case No. JK314535.

The Source: The information in this article was provided by the Chicago Police Department. 

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