A couple reported a suspicious incident to the Collier County Sheriff's Office Saturday, after they said they saw a man telling two children to get into his car.
According to the incident report, the witnesses were taking a walk along Lakewood Boulevard Saturday morning around 7:30 a.m., when they said they saw a white man in his 50s or 60s approach a girl and a boy, around 6 and 9 years old, playing in a pile of sand.
It isn't clear who the kids were, but the couple reported seeing the man stop his blue Ford Focus near the children and take pictures of them. They said he then told them to get into his car, but they didn't listen to him.
"It's always advised for them to say no, be loud, run away from the incident and report it immediately," said Sgt. Rebecca Gonzalez of the Collier County Sheriff's Office.
Realizing something was wrong, the witnesses got closer, but when the suspect saw the couple, he got back in his car and drove away.
The witnesses told deputies that the man had collar-length white hair, was about 5'10', 250 lbs, and was driving a blue Ford Focus with a partial Florida license tag number of E64. They said there was a golden retriever in the car.
"You've got to be sure that children know that you don't talk to strangers, and you stay away from their automobiles," said Jenny Ruck, who lives near where the incident was reported to have happened. "You just have to be aware, and let your kids know what they have to be aware of."
IF you have any information about this incident, you're asked to call the Collier County Sheriff's Office at 239-252-9300, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-8477.
