2 Children Approached By Strangers In Maplewood
By Telly Mamayek, NewsRadio 830 WCCO
MAPLEWOOD (WCCO) -- Maplewood Police are investigating two reports of children being approached by strangers in the past 24 hours.
In the most recent incident at 7am Thursday, a 13-year-old girl encountered a white van while she was walking to her bus stop. She fled after the driver's front door opened.
The driver's intent is not known, but Maplewood Deputy Police Chief Dave Kvam said she did the right thing.
"If you're going to take an action, you need to do it sooner rather than later," said Kvam. "So she did the right thing."
On Wednesday afternoon, a 12-year-old boy eluded a man in a black Pontiac Grand Am or Gran Prix who offered him a ride home from Maplewood Middle School. In that case, the man fled after the boy questioned the man's claim the boy's mother arranged the ride.
Kvam said parents need to prepare their children for such situations.
"It can be very helpful to prepare you for the real event if you think about it and have some sort of a plan," said Kvam.
Anyone with information about either incident is urged to call the Ramsey County Emergency Communications Center at 651-767-0640.
NewsRadio 830 WCCO's Telly Mamayek Reports
