Carpentersville cops issue warning to parents after incidents

Carpentersville police are urging parents and children to stay alert after two cases involving strangers attempting to lure schoolchildren into vehicles were reported this week.

A 9-year-old boy walking to school from his home on the 100 block of Tee Road said a man driving a light blue vehicle offered him a ride to school between 7:45 and 8:15 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20.

When the boy declined, the man continued to follow the boy to the parking lot behind 2 Pine Street. The man then got out of the car and again asked the boy if he needed a ride.

The boy refused and the man drove away, police said.

The suspect is described as a black man with a mustache and curly hair. He was wearing a black and white hooded sweatshirt with black pants and yellow Nike shoes. The suspect's car was described as light blue with four doors with red, yellow and green flames painted on the side.

In the second case reported on Thursday, Oct. 22, a man approached a 9-year-old girl as she collected the mail at her home on the 1800 block of Silverstone Drive on the village's west side. The man tapped the girl on the shoulder and asked her to help him find his lost puppy. The man said he had candy in the car.

The girl told the man he was not her father and ran away, police said. The suspect then drove away in a black car with rust on the bottom close to the front door.

The suspect was described as a black man between 5 feet 8 inches and 5 feet 11 inches tall, with a long gray goatee and short hair. He was wearing black jeans and a blue shirt.

Carpentersville Police Cmdr. Timothy Bosshart said the two cases reinforce the need for parents to talk to children about stranger awareness.

"It is a good opportunity to remind parents to talk to their kids about a plan and what to do if someone they didn't know approached them," Bosshart said. "Children should run away and find a trusted adult."

Carpentersville police are asking anyone with information to call (847) 551-3481.