Deer Park Parents On Edge After Multiple Attempts To Lure Children
DEER PARK, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Kids in Deer Park, Long Island were being reminded about stranger danger Wednesday, after a number of luring attempts.
CBS2's Steve Langford talked to parents of two children who got away from men who approached them.
"My son ran," said Khurram Ahmad, the father of a targeted child. "He didn't even look to the right or left. He just ran."
Ahmad recalled the moment around 3:50 p.m. this past Friday when his son said he was confronted by a masked man in a Mercedes-Benz at the school bus stop at Park Avenue and West 8th Street in Deer Park – just down the street from their home.
"Someone just walked up to him, parked his car, and then came outside the car and spoke to him, and said, 'You want a hundred dollars?'" Ahmad said.
The Deer Park School District said the suspect invited the Robert Frost Middle School sixth grader to come with him to a Dave & Buster's arcade, and offered him $100 to put on his card.
This was the second report in recent days of a man trying to lure middle school children into a car. Two young students just a few blocks away, at Lake Avenue and West 3rd Street, were approached as they were getting off a school bus by a man in a red Honda.
The mother of one of the 11-year-olds targeted in Dee Park told CBS2 off camera the driver of the red Honda pulled up, rolled down his window and said, "Kids, I have something in here for you."
Denise Reising said her 12-year-old daughter saw one of the vehicles trying to lure local children.
"It's very quiet, and it's not cool, like, what's been happening," Reising said. "It's put me on alert, like, I now don't even want the kids to play outside."
The Deer Park School District has warned parents about the reported attempted enticements.
"Please take this opportunity to advise your children of the danger in talking to or getting near the cars of strangers," the district said in a notice to parents. "Always contact the police department to report any unusual attempt at contact with your children by strangers."
The sometimes lonely streets of the community may just be a problem, the school district said.
"It's too quiet. You just don't know who's lurking around," said parent Marsha Perrotta.
The school district said the man in the Mercedes was wearing a black mask with sunglasses, and only his mouth was exposed. Suffolk County Police said the driver of the red Honda is described as a Hispanic man in his 40s.