FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Fort Lauderdale police canvassed the city’s Poinsettia Heights neighborhood Thursday morning after a 10-year-old girl told staff at a nearby school that a man tried to lure her into a van with candy.
Detective Ali Adamson, an FLPD spokesperson, said the girl, a middle school student, told staff that the man had offered her the candy Wednesday and saw the same suspect walking toward her Thursday, prompting her to run away and tell adults.
Speaking only to Local 10 News, the parents of the young girl, who asked not to be identified for safety reasons, are understandably shaken up after someone attempted to kidnap their daughter twice.
“You drop your daughter at school and a few hours later you get this call,” said the girl’s mother.
The incident happened between the 1400 block and the 1500 block of Northeast 17th Way, near Bennett Elementary and Sunrise Middle schools, Adamson said.
The student reported the incident to Bennett Elementary School staff, but she is not a student there, police said.
“I’m just happy she’s ok,” said the girl’s mother. “I’m just happy that she made a good conscious decision to run and go seek help.”
Police said later Thursday morning that the suspect is a tall white man with short brown hair, wearing a black sweater and black pants. Adamson said he’s between 25 and 40 years old and may be wearing glasses.
“They are babies and it breaks my heart to hear that other people want to do that to kids,” parent Anna Prescia said.
Police later released a surveillance photo of the suspect. The man was driving a black panel van, she said.
“I don’t know what goes through people’s minds. I really don’t. It’s insane,” resident Keith Bernek said as police searched the neighborhood.
Anyone with information is asked to call FLPD immediately.