Police have identified the man who allegedly attempted to lure a girl at her bus stop in Crystal Lake and said that it was actually a misunderstanding with an Uber driver who was picking up a rider.
The Crystal Lake Police Department said that the incident occurred around 7 a.m. Monday while a juvenile was waiting for her school bus near Virginia Road and Darlington Lane.
The girl reported that an unknown white male approached in a vehicle and told the juvenile to get in, according to Crystal Lake Deputy Police Chief Derek Hyrkas. The girl ran from the scene and reported the incident to an adult.
On Wednesday, police said in an update that they had identified the man after receiving dozens of leads and conducting an extensive investigation.
The man was interviewed by detectives, who determined he mistakenly believed the juvenile was his Uber fare he was scheduled to pickup in the area, police said.
“We corroborated the Uber driver’s statement with the juvenile reporter and by other investigative means, including identifying and speaking with the Uber driver’s intended fare, another young female. Our thorough vetting process resulted in the conclusion that no criminal act occurred: It was a misunderstanding,” Hyrkas said.
“The Crystal Lake Police Department would like to thank our responsive community for their expressed concern and willingness to provide information they believed to be relevant to this investigation,” officials said in a statement.
The juvenile also told police that a man approached her two other times within the past year under similar circumstances. That claim was not accurate and police said that in those cases the car only drove by slowly and did not actually make contact with the girl, Hyrkas said.