Cops Warn Parents After Stranger Approaches Boys In Fairfield

FAIRFIELD, CT — Police are requesting that the public be vigilant after a stranger asked two boys to get in his car.

The man approached the boys about 3:45 p.m. Friday while they were walking home from school in the area of Woodridge Avenue and Steiner Street, according to a memo from Fairfield Police Department School Safety Division Lt. Eddie Weihe that was posted on Facebook by school board Secretary Jessica Gerber.

The driver was described as a black man with a goatee in his late 30s or early 40s, the memo said. The man told the boys to, "Hop in you two," according to the memo, which said that when the boys declined the man left, heading toward Tahmore Drive. He was driving a black sedan with yellow New York license plates.

Weihe instructed the public to take note of the description and report anything suspicious to police at 203-254-4800.

Safety tips

In a neighborhood setting, parents should:

• Remain vigilant in observing and reporting any suspicious vehicles, persons, activities or anything that is otherwise not normal for their area;
• Regularly reinforce with their children that they should avoid suspicious persons and vehicles;
• Encourage their children to talk about anything suspicious they observe throughout their day, and encourage them to immediately tell an adult they trust if they have had an encounter that they feel was not normal.

In a school setting, parents and school staff should remind children to:

• Walk home in a group or with a buddy;
• Use routes that are populated, unobstructed and well lit;
• Always avoid any strangers attempting to engage them in a conversation;
• Never approach a strange vehicle;
• Immediately tell an adult they trust if they think they have been followed.