Woman, 53, accused of trying to abduct 3 girls

STE. GENEVIEVE (AP) -- A southeast Missouri woman is charged with three counts of attempted kidnapping and assault after allegedly trying to abduct three girls.

Police say 53-year-old Cynthia Wofford of Perryville drove a pickup onto grass Sunday afternoon in Ste. Genevieve, nearly hitting three girls, ages 12 and 13. Wofford allegedly made bizarre comments to the girls, telling them among other things that she was looking for a girl who went missing in Fredericktown in 1989, a reference to Gina Dawn Brooks, who was never found.

A bystander intervened and the girls ran to one of their homes. The father of two of the girls tried to stop the pickup, but it got away. Wofford was arrested eight miles away. Police say she had knife, plastic tarps and two shovels in the truck.