NJ State Police Seek Man Who Allegedly Tried To Lure Teen Into Vehicle
OLD TAPPAN, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Officers in Bergen County are looking for a suspect after police say a man tried to lure a teenage boy into his car.
CBS2's Nick Caloway reports parents in the quiet town of Old Tappan are on alert and on edge.
"It's very, very frightening," parent Jason Velazquez said.
"It's scary," parent Kirsten Shepler-Ross said.
The alleged incident happened Tuesday as a 13-year-old boy was walking home from school.
A man in a vehicle allegedly tried to initiate a conversation with the boy about the Yankees.
The teenager immediately ran away and called his parents.
"I feel like it helps remind us that we need to talk to our children about stranger danger and what they need to do to keep themselves safe," Shepler-Ross said.
Parents say they got an alert from their kids' school about the incident, letting them know to talk about safety with their children.
"This morning over breakfast, we did talk about just a reminder of what they should do to keep themselves safe," Shepler-Ross said.
***PLEASE SHARE*** New Jersey State Police Detective Sergeant Dennis Cappello, of the Forensic Photography and...
Posted by New Jersey State Police on Thursday, September 26, 2019
The suspect is believed to be in his 40s. He has dark hair and a goatee. He was in a dark-colored sedan when he made contact with the boy.
Police are actively searching for the suspect.
"What type of person is going around doing this, man? They need to be picked up, taken to jail and handled. They need to be arrested immediately. This is uncalled for," New Jersey resident Ronnie Starr said.
Word of the incident is spreading fast in Old Tappan and to surrounding communities as parents are reminded that they can never be too careful.
"It's just something, it doesn't matter where it is, you know, rich, poor, but obviously now, everybody's going to be more aware of things," Velazquez said.
CBS2 called the Board of Education, but they did not want to comment.