Spate of Stranger Attempts to Lure Middle School Girls to Cars

 From Friends of Robert Eagle Staff Middle School PTSA Facebook:

Saw this posted on NextDoor this morning: Attempted Luring Near Robert Eagle Staff Middle School on Tuesday 2/26/19

On Tuesday morning, a man tried to lure my daughter and 2 friends into his car about a block from the school. They were walking on the designated ’safe walking route'. 


He had all of the car doors open, and he said he had lost his phone in the car and needed them to help him find it. When they said no, he then asked to use their phones. When they ran off, he yelled, “Get back here! It’s not creepy!” 


The girls didn’t tell anyone it had happened for 24 hours. I have reported it to the school, and to the SPD non-emergency line. We have reminded the girls that if there’s a next time, to try to remember as many details as possible and to immediately tell the front office of the school (and their parents). I have reported this information to the police.
Description of person involved – Top: white coat (dirty), Bottom: dirty jeans, Age: late 20s, Build: thin, about 5'7, Race: Caucasian, Sex: Male, Other details: He had a stubbly beard.

Description of vehicle involved – Color: Light blue, Year: older, Type: 4-door sedan, Other details: Car was dented and rusted. Interior was dark color, and there was a lot of stuff in the car like he may be living in it.
This from RESMS administration:

Good morning Eagle Staff community,

Student safety and well-being are our first priority as a community, and we work hard in partnership with our District and City partners to ensure that we are as safe as possible. This morning you may see additional support at school from Seattle Schools security staff and possibly from the Seattle Police Department. We are adding this support out of an abundance of caution. 

We recognize that this may cause additional stress or worry to you or to our students. Please follow up with us in the main office if you have any questions or concerns. 

Thank you,
Dr. Marni Campbell, Principal
Robert Eagle Staff Middle School

Several parents were not impressed with this alert as it told them nothing about what THEY should be doing based on what happened.  

Additionally, there was also this incident:
The Whitman MS incident involved a male driver telling a female MS student that he was a friend of her mom's and asking her to get in his car. Posted on NextDoor Crown Hill.

Please talk to your kids about strangers calling to them from cars, safe walking habits and walking with a buddy. 

Comments

Bird Seed said…
Those students should be more willing to report. Why didn't they immediately call 911?
Kids should be trained to call 911 when they see anything possibly threatening, in this case I'm dumbfounded why they didn't call.

Why are no adults walking around after school? This is a problematic area where the city and county have decided to allow prostitution and drug sales. It keeps it out of other parts of town, but who doesn't know that?

The school and parents should be more vigilant and teach those students to call the police!
Anonymous said…
Children should be instructed to get to safety first, then report, either to an adult or 911.

https://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2019/02/27/suspicious-incidents-in-north-seattle/

(includes link to SPD safety tips)

safety first
Anonymous said…
At least at RESMS they are probably getting conflicting messages about calling 911. Kids are not being raised today with the idea that the police are friends, and they are told if they call they'll be hurting an already marginalized person. There's been a lot of tension with the neighborhood which has seen a dramatic increase in crime over the last couple years, while the families at school are painted as being unsympathetic, conservative, and not having their priorities straight if they mention student safety.

Raven alum
Anonymous said…
Bird Seed, I think you might have answered your own question. When you are constantly walking past "prostitution and drug sales" (as well as open use of drugs), why would a guy asking for help finding his phone seem threatening? I hate to say it, but I bet a lot of kids are a bit numb to what most of us would consider "threatening," especially kids who have to walk past 90th and Aurora to get to school. My own 3rd grader doesn't even comment on what we see happening on Aurora during our morning and afternoon school commute.

Ah well
mom said…
My kid was approached by a predator in our neighborhood who asked her to walk to the nearby store with him. Fortunately she acted smart and went right home. But she also did not want us to call the police. "They don't do anything" she said. This is right after black lives matter education in her school, which seems to have given her a negative view of law enforcement - though I am sure some aspects of the curriculum are valuable, not sure how the teaching is being balanced with the civic view that you should call the cops to protect other people too.



I hope the cops are on this, looking at cameras, trying to identify this guy. We also need more cops. Stress on cops means poor service and less stress means better decisions. Anyway, thank you for posting and sharing this.
RESMS Mom said…
My kid doesn't carry a phone. She is instructed to yell, and to run. Even if she had a phone, I'd rather she yell and run than dig around to get it out.

Parents at Eagle Staff may have been more impressed if the principal had bothered to associate this email with recent activity. As it was there was no way to tell if this was random extra police presence, response to an isolated threat, or perhaps response to a more universal threat like a potential bomb. They may have also been less skeptical if she didn't have a history of abysmally poor communication standards - this email was worse than none because it just made you question what was happening.
Anonymous said…
Kids were approached near John Rogers elementary a week or so ago. It was reported on Nextdoor.

HP
Anonymous said…
"Dear John Rogers Elementary Families,

I want to share information about an incident in our neighborhood today. This morning, a group of John Rogers students and a parent were waiting at a bus stop when an adult male approached them and tried to entice students to get into his van. The parent responded appropriately, kept the students safe, and immediately notified staff and police. The Seattle Police Department is investigating.
The safety of our students is a top priority. You can help your children stay safe by talking to them about personal safety. Having these conversations, especially with younger children, can be difficult. We encourage you to be sensitive to your child. Below you will find some general safety tips is you elect to have this conversation at home with your child.

• Pay close attention to your surroundings.
• Stay on your planned-out route.
• Plan your route to avoid empty spots like parks, parking lots, garages and alleyways.
• Stick to well-lit areas.
• If a car follows you or a stranger calls out to you while you are walking, do not approach the car or the stranger. Instead, turn and quickly walk the opposite direction.
• Tell a trusted grownup if someone makes you feel uncomfortable.

Sincerely,
Barbara Mann

HP
Anonymous said…
Suspicious Incidents in North Seattle
Written by Public Affairs on February 27, 2019 5:57 pm
Seattle Police are looking into two separate reports of two different men attempting to speak with kids while they were either standing at a bus stop or walking past his vehicle on Monday.

The first incident was reported at approximately 7:30 am on Lake City Way NE. A group of kids were waiting at a bus stop with parents when an unknown male in a van drove by and then stopped, got out, and attempted to speak with the kids. One of the parents immediately identified herself, and the male drove off. Police were notified and searched the area, but did not locate him.

The second incident occurred at about 4:30 pm on Crown Hill. A 12-year-old girl was walking through a parking lot when she walked past a man standing outside a van who attempted to speak with her. The girl ran away and got on the nearest bus away from the area.

Both of these incidents were documented on separate police reports. Detectives do not believe that the two reported incidents are related. However, this may be a good time to review some safety tips with your children, which can be found here.


It seems to be happening a lot lately.

HP
Anonymous said…
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Anonymous said…
This news is really concerning as it seems only a matter of time in which this guy will succeed in luring his victim(s). I really hope police will find him soon. I have been growing increasingly concerned about the crime. In NW seattle burglaries are rampant and they never seem to catch them. Nextdoor has an incident in our neighborhood posted nearly every day. About half the neighbors on my block have had their home burglarized within the past few years. Neighbors have also found needles dropped in their yard after these burglaries. We need more police IMO.

NW
Elsa said…
There is a police station within a couple blocks.

How would "more cops" help?
ochre said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Ed said…
"Families, Education and cops Levy" anyone?
NESeattleMom said…
Does anyone know the cross street on Lake City Way that was in the police report about two incidents in north Seattle? Lake City goes a long way from 80th to 145th.
NESeattle mom
Go Otters! said…
The kids were going to John Rogers, so probably north of 100th and south of 135th.
https://www.seattleschools.org/common/pages/UserFile.aspx?fileId=67918568
Anonymous said…
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