A Hampshire Drive mother, with children attending Fairwood Elementary School, expressed concern Friday about a man in a van she says is trying to lure children with promises of ice cream.
About a month ago, a man in a white van “pulled up and tried to lure two girls into the (van) with him to go to McDonald’s and go and get ice cream,” Sarah Foster told this news outlet.
The girls were about 7 or 8 years old, she said.
“We called the police and made a report,” she said.
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Then on Friday, her mother and step-father noticed the same van getting ready to pull into a nearby apartment complex before a bus dropped off students. It drove off when the driver saw the step-father, she said.
After the first sighting, “I got the kids, and went around, and warned all the neighbors that I knew, that I could figure out where they live … But I know I didn’t get them all,” Foster said.
She and her step-father, David Daniels, after calling police each time, have contacted the elementary and asked that the school send out email or voice mail notifications warning parents.
“I feel like the school can tell us when shootings happen around the school, or a possible threat is happening,” Foster said. “We get a voice message through the phone. They call everybody and let them know. But for some reason, they’re not taking this incident seriously, and they didn’t send an announcement out to all the kids, because I don’t know which bus stop he’s eventually going to get his prey from.”
Daniels said he heard the older man about a month ago ask the children, ‘Would you like to go get some ice cream from McDonald’s?”
The children answered, ‘No, no, no, and just kept walking up their driveway” to their apartments, Foster said.
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The van is windowless and white, with sliding doors, and black trim around the bottom, she said.
“My problem is with the school,” Daniels said. “They announce other things…. It’s a real good school. I like the security and everything. I just wish they would put something out to let parents know.”
Officials at the school and school district were not available late Friday afternoon to comment about policies on such matters.
Hamilton police recommend that when people see suspicious activity, they should call 911 to report it.
A police spokesman late Friday said there was not enough information immediately available about the situation.
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