Crime & Safety

Second Attempt to Lure Children Reported in Metro

Brooklyn Center Police are investigating an incident—similar to a recent event in Minnetonka—of a man in a van trying to lure children with candy.

One week ago, a Minnetonka elementary-schooler was approached by an unknown man in a white van and offered candy—at the time classified it as an attempted child luring.  And now Brooklyn Center Police say a similar incident also happened in their city last week. 

According to Cmdr. Tim Gannon of the Brooklyn Center Police Department, on Wednesday March 30, just after 3 p.m., a man driving a white cargo van came upon a group of children who were playing in the front yard of a home in the 5500 block of James Avenue North, rolled down his window and offered them candy. The four children, who ranged from five to nine years old, reportedly ignored the offer. The man then drove off only to return minutes later and throw a handful of candy at the children. The children told their parents, who called Brooklyn Center Police. The event is being investigated as a suspicious person case. 

This latest incident happened just two days after a similar report in Minnetonka.  On March 28, Minnetonka Police say a man who was also driving a white van used candy in an attempt to lure a child. That case—near the intersection of Stratford and Ashcroft Roads in Minnetonka—also occurred around 3 p.m. In that case, the man approached an elementary student from  as she walked home from her school bus stop, reportedly pulling up along side the girl, rolling down his window and asking her if she wanted candy. The girl ignored the man and then quickly walked ahead to catch up to a friend who was in front of her. The girl told her parents about the incident, who called . 

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While neither Minnetonka Police nor Brooklyn Center Police would confirm that the incidents are related, both police departments did say they are looking into the incidents and working with neighboring police departments.

“We are working with other agencies. Our investigation is ongoing,” Minnetonka Police Chief Mark Raquet told Minnetonka Patch today.

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There are at least two striking differences in the Minnetonka and the Brooklyn Center cases. In the incident reported in Minnetonka last week, the two female students involved told investigators that the driver of the van was alone and that he was older, with graying hair. However, the children from the Brooklyn Center incident told police that the driver of the van they saw was accompanied by a woman and that both people were in their 20s. Gannon, however, said children often have difficulty identifying adult ages. In neither case did anyone record a license plate number.

In response to Monday's incident, the Minnetonka Police Department is providing extra patrols in the area where the incident occurred.

“We’re concerned about it, obviously,” Minnetonka Police Chief Mark Raquet said before this latest incident came to light. “The whole thing is pretty vague, though. We don’t have a lot of information to go on.”


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