County Urges Vigilance to Protect Children From Predators
In the wake of three attempted incidents of luring minors this week, including two in Mount Kisco, County Executive Rob Astorino urged parents Friday to educate their children on how to protect themselves from abduction.
Astorino, who was joined by Commissioner of Public Safety George Longworth and county police officers at the police academy in Valhalla, also appealed to youngsters, reminding them that if they encounter a potential predator to “get loud, get away and get help.”
“The purpose of this is to inform everybody, moms and dads in this county, really all over the metropolitan area, these incidents can and do happen,” Astorino said. “You’ve got to talk to your kids, let them know what to do God forbid something like this does happen and to be prepared.”
On Wednesday afternoon, a male subject tried to lure two underage girls into a car in Mount Kisco in two incidents about an hour apart.
The first incident occurred at 2:30 p.m. on Langeland Drive when a girl who was looking out the window of a home observed a car stop in front of the house, police said. The man waved at her and motioned for her to come outside. The girl refused and the car drove away.
The incident was reported to police by the girl’s parent about an hour later.
At 3:35 p.m., an 11-year-old girl was walking on Grove Street when a car pulled to the curb and the driver motioned for her to come toward him, police said. When she ignored him and kept walking, the vehicle followed slowly to stay abreast of her. The girl ran home and informed her mother, who reported the incident to police.
The vehicle described in both incidents was a black or dark-colored four-door sedan. The driver was described as an older white male, possibly with grey hair and wearing a black parka. In one of the incidents, the driver wore a black baseball cap.
Earlier in the week, two girls in Rye were called over to a car by a male subject. They also were unharmed.
Longworth said the county is bolstering patrols in Mount Kisco, particularly in areas where children are most likely to walk to and from school.
“We understand these incidents are a heightened concern to parents,” Longworth said. “We will continue to work in partnership with the village and the (Bedford Central) school district.”
He said the two Mount Kisco incidents may have been perpetrated by the same individual. The incident in Rye is separate.
Advice from the county for families include:
- If anyone ever grabs you, yell and fight.
- Yell “stranger” or “he’s not my dad.” Get the attention of other people near you.
- Be suspicious if an adult you don’t know asks for your help. Common luring techniques are when a stranger asks a child for help in finding a lost dog or help with finding someone or something in another location.
- If you feel a car is following alongside you, walk in the opposite direction if it is safe to do so.
- If you have a cell phone and feel unsafe, call 911 right away.
Longworth said children should also seek out police officers who are wearing uniforms.
The Bedford Central School issued an advisory to parent on its website.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Westchester County police at 914-864-7701. All calls are confidential.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/