Police say an elementary-age child lied about a stranger trying to lure them into a truck after they were dropped off by the school bus in Highland Park Wednesday.
The Highland Park Police Department responded around 7 p.m. Wednesday to a report of an attempted child luring incident that occurred near Ridge Road and Devonshire Court around 2:45 p.m. Wednesday.
Police said an elementary school student reported they were approached by an unknown male in a white box truck after being dropped off by the bus at the bus stop near the student’s residence.
The child told officers that after exiting the school bus, the white box truck pulled up in close proximity.
The sole occupant of the vehicle, described as a white male with a long black beard, rolled down the window and said, “Hey kid, get in the car,” according to the child.
The child immediately ran home and was safe, police said. The vehicle continued traveling southbound on Ridge Road.
The vehicle was described as a white box truck with noticeable rust near the windows.
The Highland Park Police Department asked witnesses to the incident and those who had security camera footage from the area around the time of the incident to contact them.
Police said in an update that investigators reviewed audio and video footage and were able to identify the truck and driver.
It was determined that the incident was not an attempted luring.
“While the vehicle was in the area at the time, video and audio from the vehicle cabin indicate that nothing was stated,” police said.
City officials said they take every reported public safety concern seriously and it was fortunate that there was no risk to the child involved.
Police say parents and guardians are still urged to talk with their children about safety when walking to and from school or bus stops.
Children should be reminded to never approach or enter a vehicle without a parent or guardian’s permission.
They are also urged to run to a safe location and seek help immediately if approached by anyone who makes them feel uncomfortable or unsafe and report any suspicious behavior to a trusted adult or the police.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) recommends that parents teach kids to run away from and report behaviors and situations that make the child feel uncomfortable because most child abductions involve a relative or someone the child knows.
“This helps prepare children to act even if the risk of abduction is from someone they know,” officials said.
The NCMEC says that kids should be taught about trusted adults and be provided with examples of trusted adults in the absence of a parent, such as a uniformed police officer or a store clerk with a nametag.
The NCMEC said children are recommended not to walk alone, never go with a person without permission from their parent or guardian and not talk to adults who try to talk to them while the children are playing outside or walking home, even if they are asking for help. “Adults ask adults for help, not kids,” officials said.