City employees help police capture man who tried to abduct boy in Harvey

Two city workers helped police to catch a man who attempted to abduct a boy who walking to his south suburban school Thursday morning.

About 8:15 a.m., Sean K. Drysdale tried to abduct a 16-year-old boy walking to school in the area of 162nd Street and Carse Avenue in Harvey, according to a statement from Harvey police.

Drysdale, 43, was driving his green 4-door Chevrolet Sedan alongside the boy but the boy immediately ran back home to his parents, police said.

Two Harvey Public Works Department employees saw what happened, approached Drysdale, and called police from their cell phones, the statement said. The boy’s parents also called police.

Drysdale was taken into custody and positively identified by the boy and the city employees, police said. The Cook County State’s attorney’s office approved a charge of attempted child abduction.

Harvey police initially said Drysdale lived in South Holland. A spokesperson for the village of South Holland said Tuesday Drysdale lives at 162nd and Finch in Harvey, and has never lived in South Holland.

Drysdale was recently released from prison, where he served 10 years for the criminal sexual assault of an 11-year-old Lynwood boy, police said.