Man 'Not Suspicious' By Hazlet Preschool, Police Say

HAZLET, NJ — A man who tried to talk to a young child during recess Monday at a Hazlet preschool has turned out to be not suspicious, Hazlet police said.

The man was first seen trying to talk to a child on the playground during recess at the Sycamore Early Learning Center Monday afternoon at about 12:50 p.m. The staff called Hazlet police to report the incident, and within minutes, five officers were deployed to the area searching for the suspect, who drove off in a white SUV.

Police even notified the public, saying a suspicious man had been seen near the school and told the community to be alert for a white man wearing a black jacket with the word "Italia" on the back.

However, that man was located and police talked to both him and his wife, they said.

"The person is a resident that lives in the neighborhood and was walking by the school at that time," Hazlet police said in a second Facebook post. "Our officers questioned him and his wife and it appears that his actions and intentions were not a threat to any of the students. Although this case is still being investigated by our detectives, we are thankful for what appears to be a happy conclusion."

Exterior of Sycamore Early Learning Center via Google Earth.