OAKLEY (KRON) — A possible attempted child luring case is currently under investigation in Oakley.
Over the weekend, police say an alert 11-year-old boy may have saved his sister and himself from being taken away by a stranger.
An 11-year-old boy and his younger sister were frightened late Saturday morning.
“You hear a lot of stories like this, and it’s just scary nowadays–very scary,” neighbor Derek Cole.
Oakley police Sgt. Robert Roberts says there were plenty of witnesses at Oakley Elementary School that day while East County Little League games were being played on the baseball diamond.
Roberts says a man drove through the parking lot and up to the playground where the young boy and his sister were on the swings.
“An adult male–Hispanic male…ended up asking one of the kids if he wanted to go for a ride,” Roberts said.
That’s when Sgt. Roberts says the boy grabbed his sister and ran to their parents who then called the police.
The man drove off, never getting out of his car.
Cole lives across the street and has a 12-year-old son.
“You know, I kind of tell my son, ‘If you’ve got that gut instinct, go with it, and main thing, just get away and try to find an adult.'”
No matter the man’s intentions, police say the boy acted appropriately by protecting his sister and then contacting an adult immediately.
“At this point, we’re not sure yet [if it’s clear a crime was committed],” Roberts said. “It’s possible it’s a misunderstanding, but no matter what, the child did exactly what children are supposed to do, what they’re trained to do by their parents and teachers…he grabbed his sister, and he went to the staff and reported immediately and we start our investigation. So, kudos to the child for doing the right thing.”
Sgt. Roberts says he is only releasing vague details about the person of interest and the car he was driving because investigators have a good idea of who he is.
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