Students In Bergen County On Alert After Latest Report Of Attempted Luring
HACKENSACK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Students in Bergen County are on alert after a series of luring attempts in the past two weeks.
The latest incident happened around 7:30 a.m. Monday in Hackensack.
Police said a middle school student was walking to class when he was approached by a man who asked the student to help him look for his lost dog.
The child said no and the car sped off on Union Street.
The suspect was described as a white or Hispanic male in his 20s. Police said he was driving a two-door, black Honda.
The incident has left many students and parents on edge.
"I don't feel safe here," seventh grader Martina Ortega told CBS 2's Weijia Jiang. "I walk on Union Street. I'm just trying to stay away from that area. I want a new route home."
"It's very disturbing to me," said parent Jessica Robinson. "I hope they catch the guy."
For further information regarding this incident contact Detective Sgt. Niles Malvasia at 201-646-7730 or 201-970-7869.
That uneasy feeling is spreading across Bergen County, where authorities said six luring attempts were reported in the past eight days.
Police said children in Norwood, Ridgefield Park and Leonia have also been targeted.
Investigators have released three sketches of suspects.
Last week, two girls reported that a man driving a Jeep Wrangler outside Norwood Public School motioned them to his car.
In Ridgefield Park, investigators said a suspect approached a 10-year-old boy from a car. The boy ignored him and went home where he immediately told his parents what happened.
In Leonia, police are investigating two luring attempts. In both cases, police said a man yelled inappropriate sexual comments to young girls and then drove away.
One of the incidents happened on Wood Terrace and Hillside Avenue. The other happened near Broad and Summit avenues, police said.
It's unclear if the incidents are related.
Police said the descriptions of the suspects are different in each case and said so far, the only thing that connects them is that they've all happened in Bergen County.
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