Oroville children grabbed, offered candy in two attempted kidnappings

Strangers approached Oroville children in two separate attempted kidnappings Wednesday, leading authorities to warn residents to take precautions.

Around 4:52 p.m. on Knob Hill Avenue, a black Toyota Tacoma pulled up to a front yard where children were playing, according to a news release issued by the Butte County Sheriff’s Office.

A white middle-aged woman with blonde hair and blue eyes got out of the truck and offered doughnuts and candy to the children, asking them to enter her vehicle, according to the release.

At this point, a neighbor intervened and the woman left the area, according to the release.

Then, around 11:24 p.m. on 12th Street, a white man of about 6 feet in his 30s with a short gray beard approached a 13-year-old girl in her driveway and grabbed her by the wrist, according to the release.

The girl pulled her wrist away and screamed for help, prompting the man, who called himself Jonathan, to run away toward Oroville Dam Boulevard, according to the release.

As of Thursday evening, Jonathan Ray Burg, 30, had been arrested in connection with the attempted kidnapping. He was booked into the Butte County jail on a $500,000 bail, according to the sheriff’s office.

Deputies have not located the female suspect, but they do not believe the incidents are related. They suggest that parents warn their children never to talk to strangers or enter an unfamiliar vehicle, and to report suspicious activity to local law enforcement.

Anyone who may have information regarding the attempted kidnappings is asked to call 530-538-7671.

This story was originally published December 27, 2018 at 2:00 PM.