Oakland City mother opens up about daughter’s attempted abduction

OAKLAND CITY, Ind. (WFIE) - Oakland City’s Taylor Smith says she witnessed what she said looked to be a woman dressed as a man attempting to kidnap her daughter from their front yard on Monday. She says she was close-by gardening when it happened.

“I’m sitting on the ground. I don’t think they knew I was out here,” said Smith. “And he pulled up and grabbed her, with his arm right here and in between her legs and picked her up. And she started screaming and flailing around.”

[Police: Attempted abduction in Oakland City]

Smith says it was difficult to determine the gender of the driver due to what they were wearing. Police say the woman, who was Hispanic drove away in a Blue Hyundai Elantra with a donut tire on the passenger side

Smith says her 3-year-old daughter bit the driver, which led to the toddler being dropped on the lawn. The driver got in the car and sped off, Smith says.

She says her toddler walked away with a chipped tooth, and bruises on her head and chest. Smith says she called the police, put her young daughter and son in the car and left to go stay at her mother’s house.

“I was so scared,” said Smith. “Like I haven’t slept in three days because I’m just scared it’s going to happen again. And then we have other neighbors that say the car’s been back.”

Oakland Police Department Chief Tim Gaines says the search for the driver is ongoing.

“I mean we’ve had people that have driven by that were suspicious but not that I could recall anything of this magnitude,” said Chief Gaines. “We don’t want to instill panic, but at the same time we do want people to be vigilant.”

Smith says you’d never think something like this could happen to you, at your home. She says she doesn’t think her daughter understands the extent of what happened, but Smith says she and her daughter was targeted.

“I’ve heard other stories of like, you know, crazy stuff happening but you never think it would happen to you, right there,” said Smith.

Despite the scare, Smith says her toddler appears to be doing okay.

Oakland City Police say if you see a Blue Hyundai Elantra with possible damage on the driver’s side, call the Oakland Ci