Alleged near-kidnapping of a Texas mother’s children caught on camera

A mother from Dallas, Texas, is alerting other parents to the potential dangers after her sons were allegedly nearly kidnapped outside her family home.

On Tuesday, August 13, Genna Skolnik shared with ABC News affiliate WFAA a surveillance video from her home showing an alleged kidnapping attempt from the previous day.

Skolnik’s two sons, Zachary and Jonathan, had arranged to play with some of their other nine-year-old friends in front of their house when two vehicles pulled up and the occupants allegedly tried to persuade the children to get in.

Door camera footage showed the group immediately running into the Skolniks’ home, while a man from one of the vehicles briefly pursued them after getting out of his SUV.

“I heard screams and thought, and I could hear a commotion outside,” said Skolnik Good morning America on Thursday, August 15th.

The mother was accompanied by her two young sons during the televised interview.

“We get out on the sidewalk and try to sneak past, and I hear the driver telling my friends to get in their car,” Zachary recalled.

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The group of children knew not to mess with the strangers and quickly ran past the men to alert Skolnik to the incident.

“I was the first one at the door and screamed, ‘Someone is trying to kidnap us!'” Zachary continued.

Her son Jonathan said the man who ran toward her tried to lure him into his SUV.

“He said, ‘There’s a soccer ball in the back of the car.’ And then we were supposed to get in the back of the car. Then I said, ‘I’m sorry. I don’t talk to strangers and I ran away,'” Jonathan said.

All the children managed to escape the men, and Skolnik managed to take a photo of the drivers’ license plates, which was shown on local news channels.

Although authorities have not released any updated information on the suspected kidnappers, a similar incident was captured on surveillance camera video that morning several kilometers from Skolnik’s home.

Shane Burke spoke with GMA After a teenager was seen hiding behind his car and then knocking on his door, claiming a man was following her in his car.

“She said that someone she didn’t know was following her, staring at her and making her feel uncomfortable. She was deeply shaken,” Burke said.

Accordingly GMAAuthorities currently do not believe there is a connection between the two incidents.

ABC News’ Eva Pilgrim also offered parents advice on how to keep their children safe this school year.

Tips include “no names on backpacks,” as this could allow strangers to “confuse” or manipulate your children into thinking the stranger knows who they are. The reporter also recommended “being careful about how much information you share about your children on social media,” such as not posting what school they go to.