The sheriff’s office is investigating after a man reportedly attempted to lure two children who were dropped off by their school bus in Beach Park Tuesday afternoon.
Beach Park Community Consolidated School District 3 Superintendent Dr. Denise Wilcox sent a letter to the school community regarding the incident.
Wilcox said an unknown vehicle attempted to pick up students on the corner of Creek Court and Beach Road in Beach Park after school on Tuesday.
The students were dropped off by their bus just before the incident happened. The incident was reported to the school district by Durham School Services.
“Please continue to speak with your students about not engaging with strangers and to report any incident to you or trusted adults at school,” Wilcox said.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said his office received a delayed report on Wednesday of the incident.
Deputies learned a person in the vehicle attempted to communicate with the two children, an 11-year-old and a 13-year-old, after they were dropped off at a bus stop in the afternoon on Tuesday.
Covelli said the children described the person as an adult Hispanic man, possibly in his 20s or 30s.
The man was reported to be wearing sunglasses and a hat.
One of the children described the vehicle as a white sedan and the other described it as a green sedan.
Covelli said it was initially reported the man said “Hey” to the children but in a later conversation with the juveniles it was reported the man said, “Come here.”
The children did not acknowledge the man and continued walking home. Sheriffโs deputies are reviewing video surveillance.
Covelli saidย the incident does not appear to be related to the recent attempted child abductions in Round Lake.
“In an effort for children to know they are safe, we have increased patrols in the area of this bus stop and others,” Covelli said.
The Round Lake incidents happened around 6:50 a.m. on January 23 in the 30 block of MacGillis Drive in Round Lake.
Round Lake Police Chief David Prus told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that officers received two separate luring reports of juveniles, whichย occurred on MacGillis Drive between Whispering Oaks Lane and Treehouse Lane.
Both children, described as pre-teens, were not together but in the same general area as each other, Prus said.
The male suspect engaged in a conversation with each child and tried to get them to enter his vehicle.
The suspect was unsuccessful in both attempts and fled the area before police arrived.
The children are students who were on their way to their bus stops, Prus said.
The suspect was described as a male Hispanic or Asian, 5-foot-2 in height, with a slender and skinny build. He had short facial hair on his chin and spoke with a slight Spanish accent.
He was wearing blue jeans and a dark or black hooded sweatshirt with the hood up, Prus said.
A surveillance camera captured the suspect’s vehicle, which is a gray 2021-2024 Toyota Sienna XLE Hybrid.
Prus released a sketch of the suspect on Monday after a forensic artist conducted a multi-victim composite sketch.
On Friday, an attempted kidnapping occurred in the Cherry Creek subdivision in the 700 block of Cherry Creek Drive in Grayslake.
The victim, a 17-year-old, reported they were walking home late Friday afternoon when a gray or silver minivan stopped next to them.
One of the males exited the minivan, which was occupied by two males, and attempted to force the teenager into the vehicle, police said.
The victim was able to evade the grasp of the offender and escape from the scene.
The minivan fled the area and was last seen traveling towards Atkinson Road, police said.
Grayslake Police Chief Phil Perlini said his department is collaborating with the Round Lake Police Department on the investigations.