Kidnapping of 2 children at Raeford gas station prompts search for 2 men

On Tuesday at 11 p.m., authorities said that two men wearing ski masks were at a Lucky Stop gas station off Highway 401 at Rockfish Road in Raeford.

While armed with a handgun, they approached a driver who was pumping gas into their vehicle, according to deputies. The driver was a parent of the children.

The two robbers drove off in the vehicle with two children in the backseat, a Facebook post from the Hoke County Sheriff's Office said.

The suspects headed toward Scurlock Elementary School and stopped at J&L Clover gas station. There, the two children were able to escape from the stolen vehicle, officials said.

The men then drove the stolen car toward Rockfish Elementary School.

The sheriff's office said they have a person of interest in the case, but are still searching for the public's help identifying who's involved.

A clerk at the station said the two men sped off in the car with the nozzle still attached to the car's gas tank. The hose was snapped off the gas pump. The two children were brought back to the station after police found them, visibly shaken although they were physically unharmed.

The two men were wearing black shirts, one with an Air Jordan logo printed on it. If anyone has any information about these two men or this crime, authorities encourage them to contact Detective Hoskins at 910-479-3832 or the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office at 910-875-5111.