Rutherford County Sheriff’s detectives are searching for a man in a white van accused of trying to accost an 11-year-old boy Wednesday after he exited a county school bus in the Walter Hill community.
The boy reported the man asked him to get in his van but the boy refused and ran home, said Detective Sgt. Dan Goodwin. The boy’s father immediately ran outside but didn’t see anyone and called the sheriff’s office.
Sheriff Robert Arnold said he asked for extra patrols in the afternoons in the Walter Hill area.
“We have notified our day shift officers to be vigilant in areas where children get off the school bus,” Sheriff Arnold said.
Sgt. Goodwin said detectives are following leads in the case.
“Parents, teachers, school staff and bus drivers are asked to be aware of strangers who observe and photograph children,” Sgt. Goodwin said. “Bus drivers should look for people following the school bus.”
Neighbors should also be aware of strangers in the neighborhood, he said.
Citizens who observe strangers observing children in a suspicious manner should call the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office at 898-7770.
Here are some recommended Web sites for parents to learn about stranger proofing their children and child abduction facts:
www.parents.com/kids/safety/stranger-safety/child-abduction-facts/
http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/outdoor/abductions.html
Source:
Lisa Marchesoni, Public information officer
Rutherford County Sheriff's Office
