E. Islip schools warn about strangers approaching kids

Wary school officials in the East Islip area are warning families to be vigilant after a string of reports over the past week and a half about suspicious people in pickup trucks who have followed or approached children.

Young boys and girls appear to have been the targets, according to details released by the police and the East Islip Union Free School District, which in letters sent to parents detailed several encounters.

According to one of the more recent reports, a sixth-grader on Sunday was approached on Montauk Avenue in Islip Terrace by a man and a woman driving a pickup truck; the woman asked the child whether he wanted to play, the superintendent, Wendell Chu, said in one of the letters.

Among the incidents, according to the district's letters:

On Oct. 18 at about 5 p.m., three girls walking on Woodland Drive and Shinnecock Lane were approached by a man and a woman in a white pickup truck. The girls ran from the truck when it began to follow them. They were unharmed.

On Oct. 15 at about 3:30 p.m., a man in a red pickup truck tried to speak to a 10-year-old boy walking home from school on Bayview Avenue and Deer Run, in East Islip. The boy ran home and wasn't hurt.

"These incidents and the others that have occurred recently reaffirm the need to continually review stranger / safety issues with your children," Chu wrote.

A Suffolk police spokeswoman confirmed that the department had received complaints about the incidents.

"The Suffolk County Police Department is actively investigating reports of children being approached by strangers in the East Islip and Islip Terrace communities," Lt. James Gruenfelder of the Third Precinct Crime Section said in a statement. "We are pursuing leads in each of these cases and encourage parents and children who witness suspicious activity to contact police."

Det. Vincent Garcia, a spokesman for the Nassau County police, said the department has not received similar reports.

Parents in Islip Terrace expressed concern Tuesday.

Joseph LaRocca, who has four children, said the older children walk to and from school.

"They are very aware of what's going on and we remind them all the time to be safe," said LaRocca as he waited to pick up his second-grader.

Another parent, Jennifer Tedone, said that although she takes her two children to and from school, she tells them to always be alert and to not talk to strangers.

"They know what to do if they are approached by someone they don't know," he said. "Run, scream, get to the nearest safe place."

With Joie Tyrrell

and Andrew Strickler
 

Advice to children

Walk together to and from school if transportation is not available.

Never talk to or be lured by strangers, whether in a vehicle or on foot.

Be mindful of surroundings at all times, especially when alone.

Observe and make note of any suspicious or unknown vehicles or individuals in the community.

Inform trusted adults of any uncomfortable situation or incident.

SOURCE: East Islip school district