Providence police ask for public’s help in finding suspect in attempted abduction

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Providence Police have identified a person of interest in an attempted abduction of a young girl Wednesday after school. 

45-year-old Marc Pierre is described as six feet tall and he was last seen wearing a long green coat, a gray hooded sweatshirt, a dark winter cap, and carrying a green backpack.

This is a photo of Marc Pierre (The Providence Police Department)

“I saw him, he was facing me when he was walking by so I saw his face and same height and everything, same color hoodie, the gray hoodie,” witness Joey Carr said. “I just didn’t imagine that it would be something related to this.”

The incident happened around 3:30 p.m. at the bus stop on Nashua Street near North Main Street.

The 10-year-old girl said she was violently grabbed by a man who tried to get her inside of a van when she got off the bus, but she broke free.

“I heard a little commotion going on,” Carr said. “There is a little window that is over there that I look out through by my desk. I noticed the bus stopping normally and then I saw this sketchy looking guy, he had his hoodie up, he was kind of slinking around, he looked kind of weir.”

Police met with the girl and her mother and the child explained that a black van pulled up and a man got out on the passenger side.

Officials said when the man tried to grab her, she was able to break free and then ran inside a nearby business.

Police said Pierre is known to frequent the area of Nashua and North Main Streets as well as Corliss Street.

Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact Det. Sgt. Jonathan Primiano at jprimiano@providenceri.gov or (401) 559-2899.