Man tried to coax boy, 10, into his van in Russell Gardens, Nassau police say
Two men attempted to coax a 10-year-old boy into their van in Russell Gardens on Thursday morning but the child ran home and informed his mother, who immediately called police, Nassau County police said.
The incident, which occurred at 8:25 a.m. at the corner of South Middle Neck Road and Melbourne Street, is being investigated as an attempted abduction, police said in a news release.
The boy was walking to his school bus stop when he was confronted by two men in a grayish-white utility van, Nassau police spokesman Richard LeBrun said at a news conference near the scene Friday.
The van's passenger-side occupant asked the boy to get into the vehicle, police said. But the victim immediately ran home and informed his mother of the incident while the men fled in the vehicle, LeBrun said.
The boy, LeBrun said, did the right thing.
"We always tell our kids, 'If you're ever confronted by anybody that you don't feel comfortable with or that person is trying to lure you, immediately get out of that situation,' " he said. "This 10-year-old did a great job."
There are no other similar incidents that have been reported to police, LeBrun said.
The van's passenger-side occupant is described as approximately 5-foot-7 and 140 pounds, police said. The victim did not provide a description of the driver or of the men's ages, LeBrun said.
Neighbors in the tiny North Shore village community said the attempted abduction was disturbing.
"It's a very friendly neighborhood. It's a nice neighborhood," said Ellen Auster. "I am shocked."
Resident Erick Oliva said: "You don't feel safe anywhere. It's kind of upsetting. You just need to keep your eyes open and teach your kids what to do in those cases."
Neighbor Peter Koh, who has a 12-year-old daughter, said Russell Gardens residents look out for one another.
"The neighborhood seems to be on top of it," Koh said. "And we're all looking over each other's shoulders here … I hope they catch the guy."
Detectives and officers from the Sixth Squad canvassed the neighborhood Thursday and Friday.
LeBrun is urging residents to check their Ring doorbell and surveillance systems to see if they potentially captured images of the men.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to call the Sixth Squad at 516-573-6653 or Crime Stoppers at 800-244-TIPS.
Nationwide, FBI statistics show that an average of fewer than 350 people under the age of 21 are abducted by strangers every year, Reuters reported.
With Chelsea Irizarry
Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.
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