RCMP in Strathcona County are calling for public help after an attempted abduction Monday in Sherwood Park.
A 12-year-old girl told RCMP she was on her way home from school at approximately 3:45 p.m. when a man in a white truck approached her. She told police the truck pulled up beside her and that the man said: “Get in.”
The child told police she ran home and told her dad what happened.
Parents with children at Sherwood Heights Junior High School received a letter from the principal on Tuesday, notifying them of the incident.
“We are thankful that the Sherwood Heights student is safe,” Weylin Gilewich said. “Incidents such as this one are a reminder of how important it is to talk to our children about standard personal safety measures.”
Gilewich encouraged students to be aware of their surroundings while walking to and from school and advised them to always walk with friends, never talk to strangers and tell an adult if someone they don’t know approaches them.
“We also ask families to take the necessary safety precautions to ensure their children are supervised when using school playgrounds and other play areas in the community in the evenings and on weekends.”
RCMP said the student described the man as being in his mid-30s. She said he was wearing a red and white “trucker” hat.
The truck is described as a white, older-model pickup with a bright blue swirl emblem along the side and a grey strip along the bottom.
Strathcona County RCMP praised the girl for refusing to get into the vehicle and telling an adult. They’re reminding parents and caregivers of the importance of educating children about safety and not speaking to strangers.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Strathcona County RCMP at 780-467-7741 or call your local police detachment. If you want to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at http://www.tipsubmit.com, or by SMS.
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