Police: Reports of man trying to abduct student in West Babylon unfounded

Reports of a man attempting to lure a female West Babylon High School student into his car Thursday proved unfounded, Suffolk County police confirmed Friday evening.

Friday morning Suffolk police said they were investigating reports of a man approaching a female teenager while she was walking north on Arnold Avenue in West Babylon at about 2:20 p.m. Thursday.

The man was described as being in his 20s with brown hair, a beard and mustache and wearing a black Nike sweatsuit, according to a letter West Babylon School District Deputy Superintendent Shawn Hanley issued to district parents. The man approached the girl at Arnold and Elmwood roads, less than a mile from the high school, in a silver or white four-door sedan, according to the letter. After he allegedly asked the student to get into the car, he exited the vehicle and tried to get her into the car. The girl was able to run away, and her family called police, according to the school district.

But a spokesperson for the Suffolk County Police Department confirmed Friday evening that after First Precinct crime officers conducted an investigation, this report was determined to be unfounded.

"The Suffolk County Police Department has informed us that after conducting an investigation into the report of a West Babylon Senior High School student being approached by a stranger at the corner of Arnold Avenue and Elmwood Road, it was determined to be an unfounded incident," West Babylon Superintendent Yiendhy Farrelly said in an emailed statement late Friday evening.

"Making false accusations is a serious matter and can have significant consequences," the statement continued. "Anyone responsible for reporting these false claims to SCPD and school administration will be held accountable in accordance with the district’s code of conduct. Please use this opportunity to talk to your children about the importance of sharing truthful and substantiated information."

In the previous letter sent throughout the district, school officials urged parents to talk to their children about what to do when confronted by strangers and to look for suspicious activity, and to report any to police.

With Nicholas Grasso