HIGHLAND TWP. (WWJ) -- The Oakland County Sheriff is reminding parents to be vigilant after a creepy incident involving an unidentified man who offered candy to two boys playing after school.
The children were spooked, but no one was harmed during the incident at around 3:30 p.m. Thursday, near the bus stop by the Duck Lake Community Resource Center near Duck Lake Rd. and Connors Ln. in Highland Township.
According to Sheriff Mike Bouchard. a woman who lives in the area noticed the unidentified man talking to two 10-year-old boys as he stood outside his black Chevy pickup truck, which was parked on the side of the road.
The man was eating a popsicle while watching the boys as they played, and both doors to the cab of his truck were open.
When the man offered the children candy and popsicles, one of the boys ran away while the other one appeared unsure what to do, the woman reported.
She asked the boys if they were OK, and one of the boys replied that the man was trying to abduct them.
When the man heard what the child said, he quickly got into his truck and fled, the woman reported. She then followed the boys to their homes, and the incident was reported to the OCSO.
The man is described as a white male with a long gray beard, between 60 and 70 years old, wearing a green reflective safety vest and work boots. The model of his truck is unknown.
The Huron Valley Schools was informed of the incident and provided the information to parents, the sheriff's office said.
With this situation incident in mind, Bouchard asked that parents speak to their kids about "stranger danger."
“Parents should have an age-appropriate discussion with their children about contact with adults,” Bouchard said. “Even adults they may have seen or met with does not mean they should do what those adults ask them to do like going in a house or getting in a car. In this case, the subject was not known to the boys. We would like to know the identity of this individual — if anyone has information — and to be alert in that area.“
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Bouchard and the school officials remind parents of the following safety tips:
• Try to avoid walking to and from the bus stop alone
• If you or your child see anything suspicious, call 911
• Never talk to or take anything from strangers
• Keep enough distance between you and strangers so they are unable to touch you
Anyone who may have seen the black Chevrolet pickup truck near a school or bus stop, or its driver should call the Sheriff's Office at 248-858-4911.
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