Wichita police investigate reports of man approaching children walking to and from school

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - The Wichita Police Department (WPD) and Missing and Exploited Child Unit (EMCU) are investigating two incidents involving a man approaching juveniles as they were walking to or from school.

The first incident occurred on Monday, Sept. 12 around 7:10 a.m. Police said a 14-year-old reported being approached by an older white man with gray hair in the 9200 block of E. Harry. The juvenile said the man claimed to have been sent by the child’s parents and offered the juvenile a ride. Not believing this to be true, the juvenile went back home and told a parent.

On the same day, this time around 6:37 p.m., an 11-year-old girl said she was walking home from school when she noticed a vehicle following her. She said a man exited the vehicle and started following her. She described him as an older white man with white hair. The girl said the man tried to coerce her to get into his vehicle, which she reported was a black van with Texas plates. Sensing something was not right, the girl quickly walked to her home where she reported what had happened to her parent.

“WPD wants to remind parents to talk to their children about how to handle interactions with strangers. Both of these young people handled each situation like champs, and we want to make sure all children in Wichita are equipped with the knowledge to keep themselves safe,” the police department said in a post on Facebook.

Police said a few tips you can share with your kids include:

• Don’t accept rides from people you don’t know.
• Trust your instincts! If something feels off, it probably is.
• Point out safe places such as schools, police stations, fire stations, etc.
• Teach assertiveness. It’s okay to say no to an adult.
• Encourage your children to be in groups of friends.

If you have any information on suspicious activity, call 911 or visit one of four WPD patrol stations. Investigators with the WPD are actively looking into each of these reported incidents.