Abduction story a hoax:

SQ says report of attempted child abduction in St-Lazare did not happen.

Parents were on edge last week, but the report of a possible child abduction in St-Lazare that circulated on Facebook appeared to be groundless.

Sûreté du Québec police had an increased presence in St-Lazare on Friday, checking out the report that was shared by dozens of people on the social networking site, but by the end of the day, the child in question either exaggerated the event, or it was a hoax, said SQ Sgt. Ingrid Asselin.

“The story is unfounded,” Asselin confirmed Friday afternoon. “It never happened.”

Asselin said police were tipped off to a possible abduction, and investigated the complaint, though she would not specify the source of the tip.

The Facebook post, which ap- peared to have been first posted on Thursday, said a man hopped out of a dark van on St-Robert Rd. in St-Lazare and grabbed a 10-year-old boy, who was able to escape. It gave a detailed description of the man and the van he was driving.

Following the report, Evergreen Elementary School principal Kathleen O’Reilly sent an email to parents Thursday afternoon, warning them to be vigilant.

Speaking to The Gazette, O’Reilly said whether the report is true or not, parents should take this opportunity to review safety procedures with their children for when they’re travelling to or from school.

“It’s not to alarm people, but to tell them to review with their children safety measures of what to do when they’re alone, or outside, not to talk to strangers — just the basic things that they should be reviewing on a regular basis.”

Asselin said the investigation is closed, and said there won’t be any charges laid against the child in question because he is too young.