Vernon, B.C., Mounties are reminding parents to be mindful of how their children interact with strangers after what they’re calling a “suspicious occurrence.”
On Tuesday morning, a man in a brown vehicle approached a child who was walking to school in the 4200 block of 35th Street, police said.
“The investigation has determined that a man in a brown vehicle called out several times trying to get the child to come over to his vehicle, even offering a gift if the child got in,” RCMP said in a press release.
“The student continued walking and the child’s parent, who was nearby, noticed what was happening and went over to the vehicle. As the parent approached the vehicle, the suspect drove away from the school and out of the area.”
Mounties were told about the incident and despite conducting patrols, found no one.
The suspect is described as a 40- to 50-year-old man with a moustache or goatee, wearing light brown clothing, driving an older brown station wagon-type vehicle.
“We are working closely in partnership with SD22 and to ensure the necessary steps are taken to keep our students safe,” Const. Chris Terleski said in a press release.
“The student did the right thing by recognizing and staying away from an unsafe situation. We can’t reinforce enough that establishing safe habits for interacting with strangers starts at home. Make safety conversations with your children a regular thing; it gives them confidence and helps prepare them so they know what to do if they are ever in an unsafe situation.”
Police are continuing to investigate the incident and are appealing to the public for their assistance. Anyone who lives or was driving in the area is being asked to check to see if they have video footage of this vehicle or the incident.
Anyone with information that may help with the investigation is asked to contact the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP at 250- 545-7171 and quote file number 2023-7313.