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Source: San Diego County Sheriff
April 20, 2022 (Santee) - The Santee Sheriff’s Station wants parents to be aware after a stranger followed and approached a child.
It happened on Tuesday, April 19 around 3:30 p.m. as the 16-year-old boy was riding his bicycle home from Mast Park in the 9100 block of Carlton Hills Boulevard. The incident was reported to the Sheriff's Department an hour later.
The boy told deputies he first noticed a white van following him as he passed the parking lot of a bank in the 200 block of Town Center Parkway. The driver kept motioning for the boy to come to him.
He ignored the driver and kept riding his bicycle south on Cuyamaca Street, but the van kept following him. As the boy continued east on Town Center Parkway, he stopped near the Santee Town Center Trolley Station. The driver stopped in front of the victim and waved his hand for the boy to get into the van. The boy then rode his bicycle home and told his parents about the incident.
The boy describes the suspect as a Middle Eastern man in his 40s with an average build, black hair, mustache and short buzz-cut hair style. He was driving a white van similar to the one shown in the photo below. It is described as a late 1990's Ford Econoline with tinted windows and beige curtains in the back.
Parents and guardians, you may want to remind your children about basic safety precautions when it comes to strangers:
- It is always a good idea to avoid walking alone.
- If a stranger approaches and attempts to have a conversation with you, do not respond. Walk or run away.
- Do not accept anything from a stranger.
- Do not get in the vehicle of a stranger, regardless of what they tell you.
- Report the incident to your parents and/or school personnel, and most importantly, the Sheriff's Department.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact the San Diego County Sheriff's Department's non-emergency line at (858) 565-5200.
You can also call the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477. Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $1,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to an arrest in this case.
Visit www.sdcrimestoppers.org for information on how to send web or mobile app tips.
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