Stranger Danger In A Van Appears To Be False Alarm: Police

BROOKLINE, MA — A woman told police she was asked to get into a van while walking in Brookline Village one morning last week, and days later police found the van and issued a warning to the men the woman said harassed her, although stressed that according to a preliminary investigation no crime appeared to be committed.

Still, Brookline Police are giving the area special attention and advise residents to report anything they feel is suspicious.

The woman called police to report that while she was walking down Kent Street around 8:30 a.m, someone in the back of a maroon van nearby opened the back door of it and told her to get in the van. The person told police she ignored the man and continued walking home where she called police. She described the van as beat up with no distinctive markings on it. She described the man who had told her to get in as white, in his 50's, facial hair, skinny, and wearing a hat. She said there were two other white men in the front seats of the van but, she said she couldn't describe those two.

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A couple days later the Brookline Police officer who took her report said he saw a van that matched the description make a traffic violation and pulled it over.

The officer spoke to driver and passenger and determined there was a strong possibility that this was the same van the woman had reported earlier. The driver and passenger said they were in the village at the time the woman said she saw them, and admitted talking loudly and laughing but told police they did not remember saying anything to a woman, or even seeing a woman.

Both subjects were identified and advised, and issued a traffic citation for the original traffic stop. The complainant, who originally made the complaint, was notified of the stop, according to police.

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Photo of the Brookline Police cruiser by Jenna Fisher/ Patch Staff