Toronto police are alerting the public after an attempted abduction was reported in North York on Thursday afternoon.

Police said three 10-year-old girls were walking near Senlac Road and Sheppard Avenue West at about 3:30 p.m. when a stranger tried to pull two of them away.

The girls were walking southbound on the west side of Senlac, toward Sheppard, when they noticed they were being followed by a male.

Two of the girls became uncomfortable and ran ahead, while the third one continued to walk at a normal pace.

According to police, the male grabbed that girl by the waist and tried to pull her back, but he quickly lost his grip. The male then grabbed the girl’s backpack but she was able to free herself and run away.

The male caught up to the group and attempted to grab a second girl, but the trio was able to flee. The girls turned onto a side street, and the male was last seen walking southbound on Senlac toward Sheppard.

The male did not say a word to the girls during the incident, but he was making some moaning sounds, police said.

“Several times the male stepped onto the roadway and then got back on the sidewalk,” police said in a news release.

Police have been unable to locate the male.

He is white, in his late 40’s to early 50’s and tall in height. He has short brown hair and is clean shaven.

At the time of the incident, he was wearing a grey or black toque that is ripped and was worn high on his head, a grey or brown jacket or sweatshirt, light baggy jeans with rips in them, and well-worn brown shoes with black shoelaces.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 416-808-3200 or Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS (8477).

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