Police in Knox County are urging caution after a girl reported that a stranger in a white van tried to lure her into his vehicle by offering her a ride home, the third such incident in the past two weeks.
The girl told police she was walking home from University College at Rockland Thursday afternoon when the driver of a white van, described as a “middle-aged white male,” pulled up and offered her a ride. She refused and continued her walk home. She reported the incident by sending a message to Rockland Police Department’s Facebook page after she got home.
“The investigation is ongoing at this time and the department urges anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to contact the police department,” Rockland police said in a Friday Facebook post. “The department also encourages students to walk in groups, in well lit, high visibility areas whenever possible. If any student is approached by anyone in the manner described above, regardless of what type of vehicle a person is driving, run away and contact police as soon as possible.”
On Monday, Sept. 18, a white van carrying three men stopped on Ash Point Drive in Owls Head and asked a young girl who was walking home to get into the vehicle. The girl ran into the woods and headed home, where she reported the encounter to her parents. The parents informed police.
Two days later, a white van pulled up next to a boy who was riding to school on his bicycle, and the driver asked the boy to get in. The student pedaled on to Oceanside Middle School, where he reported the incident to a school counselor.
Police also ask that if anyone has to report any sort of emergency or sighting, the quickest method of getting a hold of an officer is calling 911. Area schools also have been warning parents and students to keep an eye out and use caution.
Parents are urged to speak to their children about what to do in the event they’re approached by a stranger, and revisit the subject if they’ve been told about it in the past.