SEDGWICK COUNTY —Recently, investigators with the Wichita Police Department Missing and Exploited Child Unit were made aware of two incidents of a suspicious nature involving adults attempting to contact young people as they were walking to or from school, according to a media release from police.
Just after 7a.m. September 12, a 14-year-old boy reported being approached by an older white male with gray hair in the 9200 block of E. Harry and offered a ride.
The boy eported that the male claimed to have been sent by the child's parents. The juvenile, not believing this to be true, left the area and went back home where he reported the incident to a parent.
Just after 6:30p.m. on September 12, an 11-year-old girl reported walking home from school when she noticed a vehicle following her. She reported a man exited the vehicle and began following her on foot. She described the man as an older white male with white hair.
She reported the male attempted to coerce her to get into his vehicle, which she reported was a black van with Texas plates. Sensing something was not right, the juvenile did not talk to the man and quickly walked to her home where she reported what happened to her parent.
Wichita Police reminded parents to talk to their children about how to handle interactions with strangers. Both of these young people handled each situation like champs, and we want to make sure all children in Wichita are equipped with the knowledge to keep themselves safe. A few tips you can share with your kids include:- Don't accept rides from people you don't know.- Trust your instincts! If something feels off, it probably is.- Point out safe places such as schools, police stations, fire stations, etc.- Teach assertiveness. It's okay to say no to an adult.- Encourage your children to be in groups of friends.If you have any information on suspicious activity, don't hesitate to contact us by calling 911 or visiting one of our four patrol stations. Investigators with the WPD are actively looking into each of these reported incidents.