GLENOLDEN, Pa. – Police in Glenolden are praising a mother’s quick actions to save her son after they say he was kidnapped by two men in a van who tried to sexually assault him.

What we know:

Police say a young man was kidnapped by two men in a gold van near the Family Dollar on Sharp Avenue on Wednesday night.

The boy’s mother tracked the location of his phone to a vacant area of Ashland Avenue and traveled to that spot where she encountered the van.

Investigators say she followed the van as it pulled off and drove towards Folcroft Road near the 7-Eleven on Delmar Drive.

During the kidnapping, police say the men tried to rip off the boy’s clothes and attempted to sexually assault him. 

Police say the boy was eventually thrown from the moving van and is now safe. 

What they’re saying:

“He is home safe now, but this could have been so much worse,” Glenolden Police Department said in a statement posted to Facebook.

Police are urging residents to stay alert when walking alone or at night, and to share their phone’s location with someone you trust.

What you can do:

Investigators described the suspects as light-skinned men, possibly Black or Hispanic, in their 40s.

Anyone who sees an older gold van or suspicious behavior should report it to the Glenolden Police Department.

Chester CountyCrime & Public SafetyNews