Lin’s son escapes kidnap attempt

The 13-year-old son of one of Saipan’s biggest garment manufacturers escaped a kidnapping attempt while in school Monday afternoon. Police suspected this could be a kidnap for ransom attempt.

According to a police report, the boy, who is the son of businessman James Lin, owner of UIC, was about to attend his band class at around 1:00 p.m. when an Asian-looking woman called him to approach a brown van parked near the Saipan Community School.

The woman, according to the report, called the boy’s name in Chinese and told Lin’s son that she has something for his mother.

The boy ran back to the school premises after struggling with an unidentified man wearing a mask who tried to drag him inside the vehicle.

The victim immediately informed his teacher and the school principal, Harold Smith. He was kept inside the principal’s office until the police arrived.

“He was visibly shaken and very frightened but he had the presence of mind to do the right thing when he realized that there was some danger,” said Smith. He described the boy, who is now on seventh grade, as a well-behaved student who plays the percussion and the drum in the band class.

“The police responded very quickly and promptly. I think it was a comfort to the young boy to know that they were concerned,” Smith said.

Public Safety Commissioner Charles W. Ingram yesterday said he believed that the suspects were planning to demand ransom had they carried out the kidnapping successfully.

DPS has beefed up patrol and surveillance in the area where the Lins reside and the school premises, Ingram said.

He added that Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio has called him up asking about the incident Monday night. But yesterday the governor declined to comment on the incident.

The police department is asking the people to report immediately anything they see suspicious within their area as policemen search for the brown van.

The school has put in place precautionary measures, asking students to leave their rooms in groups or practice the buddy system. All visitors who want to see any student should come first to the school’s office.

“We know that there are crimes happening around us so we were not really surprised that it happened. But it was a wake up call that it can happen to us,” said Smith.

He has also asked the teachers to be more security conscious and watch their students closely when they transfer from one classroom to another.