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BLUFFDALE — Bluffdale police are seeking a man and woman who allegedly lured a child into their vehicle Monday afternoon.
The incident occurred around noon near a school bus stop outside a gated community at 1100 West 14600 South, according to Bluffdale police. A silver crossover SUV-style vehicle was parked near the bus stop with a man and woman inside when a bus driver dropped off a boy between the ages of 5 and 6. The bus driver saw the SUV and thought it seemed suspicious, but when the driver looked back, the vehicle was gone, police said.
The bus' surveillance camera caught the vehicle on camera. Investigators are also saying that the couple in the vehicle appeared to have luggage with them.
The boy told his parents he was lured over to the vehicle and “at some point” entered it, police said. The incident was not reported to police until 10 p.m., but the boy made it safely home.
Police are still investigating the incident and are involving the Children's Justice Center to find out what happened inside the SUV.
The Bluffdale Police Department increased patrols in the area and went door-to-door Tuesday to talk to neighbors. An officer followed the bus as it dropped kids off after school, and police also notified surrounding schools of the incident. Community members are also asked to report any suspicious activity in their neighborhoods or near schools or bus stops.
A school resource officer will be visiting schools in the next few days to provide education assemblies and classroom visits to raise awareness on how to handle suspicious circumstances, police said. An assembly was held Tuesday at 3 p.m. at Bluffdale Elementary to teach the students awareness of strangers.
Police also encouraged parents to review safety protocols with their children and to teach them preventative measures like walking to bus stops or school in pairs and having family “passwords.”
Anyone with information about the incident can contact the Bluffdale Police Department at 801-253-4899.
Contributing: Dave Cawley and Andrew Adams
