The King County Sheriff’s Department is investigating an apparent attempted abduction that took place Thursday afternoon, April 23, on Orchard Street in front of the Si View Community Center.

According to sheriff’s reports, shortly before 3 p.m. Thursday, a 15-year-old North Bend girl got off the school bus. A man, described as about 35 years old, pulled his car in front of the girl and grabbed her, bur she pulled away and ran into the community center.

The man’s car is described as a small green four-door sedan with a dull dark green or emerald-colored finish.

Sheriff’s spokesman John Urquhart told the Record that a more complete description of the man would be available as early as Friday, April 24.

The girl did not know the man, Urquhart said.

Si View responds

A note on the door of the Si View office, titled “Safety first,” urged parents to use extra precautions when arriving and leaving the facility.

This appears to be the first time someone has attempted an abduction outside Si View.

It happened in broad daylight, at a very busy time of the day for the center.

“It’s very surprising,” said Scott Loos, human resources manager for Si View. “This could happen anywhere.”

Since its creation in 2003, the Si View Parks District has seen a huge increase in the number of people that use its facilities, board president Linda Grez said.

In the wake of the attempted snatching, the Si View board of commissioners plans to review its procedures to make sure patrons are safe.

While the attempt did not take place on Si View grounds, “we care very much about what happens here,” Grez said. “It’s really hard when something happens just outside your facility. We can’t control what happens in the street.”

Among planned safety improvements is construction this fall of a parking lot, to bring patron parking away from the street and onto the grounds.

Staff are at all entrances to the facility, and procedures call for employees to meet buses at the curb and escort children to camp.

“I think we’ve done the best we can to staff it at the right level,” Grez said. “We care deeply about the public. The last thing we want is for anyone’s safety to be compromised.”