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SOUTH OGDEN — Police are investigating an attempted kidnapping of a boy and girl walking to school Wednesday morning.
An 8-year-old boy and his 5-year-old sister were walking to H. Guy Child Elementary School around 8:20 a.m. when a man drove up next to them in a truck.
"He said, 'Did you know that I live in your neighborhood?' And they didn't look at him, or make eye contact with him," said one of the parents of the children who asked to not be identified. The children reported that the stranger also told them that they were late for school and were going in the wrong direction.
"They started moving faster," the parents said. "My son grabbed the eight-year-old like this, closed his eyes, and they ran forward."
The parents said they were pretty shaken up by the incident, but that they are happy that their children did the right thing by not getting into the truck with the man. The parents wanted to alert other families in case the man tries the same approach with other kids.
The children told their parents and police the man was driving a two-door, extended-bed, white pick up truck. They described the stranger as a white male with goatee facial hair.
"The kids did everything right," said South Ogden Police Sgt. Dave Labbe. "They walked away from this individual and came right to school."
Police are investigating the suspicious incident, trying to determine whether it was an attempted abduction.
"We don't know what his intent was," Labbe said. "We can only speculate at this point."
Officers said they want parents to have a discussion with their children about strangers.
"Be vigilant, watch out for suspicious vehicles, and suspicious persons, and report that as soon as possible," Labbe said.
The parents are thankful nothing happened to their children and that they get to celebrate their son's birthday Thursday.
"Tomorrow we get to celebrate him being in our family, and not wondering where he's at."
