Sex offender accused of attempting to abduct 16-year-old boy in Harvey

HARVEY, Ill. (WLS) -- Sean Drysdale, 43, a registered sex offender, was arrested and charged Thursday after police say he allegedly tried to abduct a 16-year-old boy.

The boy was walking near 162nd and Page to Thornton High School around 8:15 a.m. when the man allegedly tried to force the teen into his car, police said. The boy fought him off and escaped.

Harvey city workers Johnnie Morgan and DaShawn Dandridge had a long list of houses to board up Thursday. For some reason, they decided to begin the one on Carse Street, which happened to be the last on their list.

"I think it was a blessing from God, while we had a whole work schedule in," Dandridge said. "We weren't even supposed to be in that area, we just decided to go there first."

Their timing could not have been better. Morgan and Dandridge say as they pulled up, they saw a man trying to lure the 16-year-old boy into his car.

"He was walking down the sidewalk, the guy was trailing him, steady trying to talk to him, get his attention," Dandridge said. "After a while I guess he got too aggressive and the kid took off running."

The teenager was on his way to catch a bus to high school, but instead he ran home to tell his parents.

"My son had the state of mind to turn around and run home," said his father, Robert House, Jr. "When he got home he called my wife, my wife called me, I immediately rushed home, got the information from him about who this guy was and called the police."

As the victim's family contacted the authorities, Morgan and Dandridge did the same. They managed to keep Drysdale at the scene, which is a Safe Passage route, until police arrived.

"I had my friend Shawn keep talking to him while I walked off, acting like I was looking for another address, and then I called Harvey," Johnnie Morgan said.

Within minutes, Drysdale was in custody. The victim's father is proud of his son for doing the right thing, and grateful to the two workers who helped take a registered sex offender off the street.

"I'm very thankful to them, me and my family," House said. "And we just want to thank them from the bottom of my heart."

The victim was able to identify Drysdale in a lineup. Drysdale was released from prison about a year ago after serving 10 years for the assault of an 11-year-old girl.