A man is facing a kidnapping charge after police say a seven-year-old girl was nearly abducted from the grounds of an elementary school in Chilliwack before a bystander intervened.RCMP say officers were called to Chilliwack Central Elementary School at approximately 9:09 a.m. Wednesday following reports that a man had attempted to remove a child from school property.Police allege the suspect tried to take the girl before a concerned citizen stepped in, returned the child to the school and prevented the situation from escalating further. The girl was not physically injured.Officers located a suspect matching the description a short time later in the nearby area and arrested him without incident.Joel McGillis has since been charged with kidnapping a person under the age of 16. He remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Friday.Investigators said the accused and the child were not known to one another and described the case as an isolated incident.Police are continuing to seek witnesses who may have been in the area between Chilliwack Central Elementary School and the 46000 block of Margaret Ave. between 8:30 a.m. and 9:15 a.m.Investigators are particularly interested in speaking with anyone who may have seen an individual wearing what police described as a purple bunny-like mask. Anyone with information is being urged to contact Chilliwack RCMP.
