Police are searching for a woman who reportedly tried to lure a child into her car in Palos Verdes Estates, and they are also looking for a good Samaritan who stepped in to help the child.
According to a news release issued by the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department, a 10-year-old boy was walking home from Luanda Bay Elementary School around 3:45 p.m. Friday when he was approached by a female driver who twice offered him a ride and said she would text his mother.
The interaction took place in the 2400 block of Via Pacheco, approximately half a mile from the elementary school campus, and the boy told authorities that the woman who spoke to him was the sole occupant of the vehicle.
“The child refused [to enter the woman’s vehicle], and a good Samaritan who was walking his dog nearby asked if [the boy] knew the driver…the child told the good Samaritan that he did not,” the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department release reads. “The unidentified good Samaritan told the child to go home as he talked to the driver. The child was able to run home safely and report the incident to his parents.”
Upon receiving the call, officers immediately rushed to the scene; however, they could not locate the female motorist nor the man who helped the boy. Detectives are seeking information on both of their identities and released the following descriptions:
- Female motorist: Black female, approximately 30 to 50 years old, medium build, brown hair
- Female vehicle: Light blue, newer model SUV similar to a Kia EV9
- Good Samaritan: White male, approximately 70 years old, wearing a baseball cap and black sunglasses, walking a white lab
Based on information provided and descriptions obtained, PVEPD contacted the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District – of which Luanda Bay Elementary is a part of – to assist in their investigation, and neighboring law enforcement jurisdictions have also been alerted to the incident. Notifications to parents will be made by the district, police added.
No further details surrounding the active investigation were immediately released.
Anyone who has any information surrounding the incident, including the identities of the suspect and good Samaritan, is asked to contact Palos Verdes Estates Police Department Detective Neil Sisson by calling 310-378-4211 or emailing [email protected].
To submit an anonymous tip, visit www.lacrimestoppers.org
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