'Misunderstanding' Led To Report Of Child Luring: Niles Police

NILES, IL — Police said a report of a bearded man following a 6-year-old girl on a bicycle and telling her to get into his car Tuesday morning was the result of a misunderstanding. After speaking with witnesses and residents, Niles detectives determined the incident was not an attempted child luring and the girl was never at risk, police said Tuesday night.

The investigation revealed there may have been a mix-up involving the husband of a babysitter who was taking care of another child at the time, according to Cmdr. Robert Tornabene.

The initial report indicated the girl had been riding her bike home from a friend's house around 11:20 a.m. the intersection of Neva Avenue and Kedzie Street when a man in a silver sedan drove up to her and asked her to get inside, following her a few blocks as she rode home, according to police.

It turned out, police said, the man was attempted to pick up a different child from a neighboring house and had mistaken the girl on the bike for the child he was intending to pick up.

Tornabene said a language barrier played a part in the confusion and thanked the public for quickly providing security video of the incident.

Police reminded parents to discuss with their children plans for what to do with they are approached by a stranger. Tactics include grabbing onto the nearest person or item, yelling "Stop, Stranger," the windmill or swimming technique of swing arms around or making a lot of noise.

Other recommendations included having a neighborhood meeting so that children know neighborhood safe houses in case of an emergency, teach them emergency contact information and employ the buddy system and secret passwords.