STOUGHTON, Mass. -- Three attempted abductions of young people in the past week have Stoughton police on high alert.

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Amalia Barreda Reports On Investigation

NewsCenter 5's Amalia Barreda reported that police said they are confident that an arrest is near.

Last Thursday, officials said a man grabbed the jacket of a 3-year-old boy at a Chinatown Restaurant, and tried to pull him toward the door.

"At that point, the child dropped to the ground and screamed, 'I am staying with my mommy.' The mother grabbed her son by the arm, scooped him up and walked over to the kitchen," said Stoughton Police Chief Manuel Cachopa.

On Jan. 14, a similar incident apparently occurred at a pizza parlor on Route 138.

"That happened with an 8-year-old boy in a bathroom. A male came in and grabbed him and then he left the bathroom," said Cachopa.

Last Saturday outside the CVS Pharmacy in the Cobbs Corner area in Canton, a man reportedly tried to abduct a teenage girl.

Police believe the same man made all three abduction attempts.

The man is described as white, in his early 40s, about 6 feet tall and 200 pounds, with either blue or green eyes.

Police said they received information from a neighbor of their prime suspect and an alleged victim picked that man's picture out of a photo array. The man is said to have a criminal history.

Police said they hoped to have him in custody Friday night.