Over the weekend, Roselle Park School District (RPSD) Superintendent Pedro Garrido sent an e-mail to parents and guardians regarding four (4) reports of a suspect or suspects luring and, in two cases, attempting to kidnap young girls in neighboring Roselle and Kenilworth.
On Wednesday, September 21st, the first two reports of attempted luring reportedly occurred within an hour of each other in Roselle.
The first happened at around 8 o’clock in the morning when a 12-year-old girl on her way to school stated that a man in a SUV attempted to grab her by the arm after calling her to the vehicle saying he had something for her as he held up a jacket. The girl fled. The man was described as white, in his 30s with a thin build, round face, light mustache, unibrow, cleft chin, and a dark-colored faded flower-shaped tattoo on his right tricep. This occurred on the 100 block of West 7th Avenue.
The second reported attempt occurred a little before 9 a.m. when a 15-year-old girl on her way to school stated that a man in a dark Acura pulled up beside her and asked if she wanted a ride. After she declined, the man drove away. In that incident, which occurred on the 200 block of East 8th Avenue, the suspect was described as Latino with long hair on top of his head and short hair on the sides between 40 and 50 years of age.
Later that day in Kenilworth, at around 2:15 p.m., a 15-year-old girl walking home from school on Monroe Avenue near 16th Street was approached by a man described as white, in his 50s, with a grayish-white beard and thin facial features. The vehicle was described as a black 4-door sedan. The female student said that the vehicle appeared to have been following her and when she made eye contact with the man, he motioned her to come to the vehicle. She walked back to the high school.
The following day, September 22nd, a fourth report was made to the police, this time back in Roselle. At around 4:30 p.m., a 16-year-old girl stated that she was walking on the 500 block of Walnut Street in Roselle when a man she described as a white male in his 30s with dark hair and a thin build driving in a silver SUV approached her. She said that the man got out of the vehicle and grabbed her by the waist but she was able to get away.
The superintendent as well as the Roselle Park Police Department (RPPD) ask parents, children, and residents to be vigilant and report any such suspicious activity to RPPD immediately to (908) 245-2300 unless there is an imminent danger; in such case 9-1-1 should be used.