Montclair Police: Driver Told 12-Year-Old, ‘Come On, Get In Car’

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A driver allegedly told a 12-year-old pedestrian in Montclair to “come on, get in the car” during an interaction last week, authorities said.

According to the Montclair Police Department, the incident took place on March 29 when a man in a silver or gray Honda Accord with dark-tinted windows approached a 12-year-old female juvenile on Midland Avenue.

The man allegedly told the youth to “come on, get in the car,” before speeding away southbound on Midland Avenue, Montclair police said.

Police said that the man was described as a white male about 70-years-old with gray hair. No further description or information about the incident was immediately available.

There have been several reports of suspicious encounters between juveniles and adults in Montclair over the past few years (see below), but at least one has been dismissed as a misunderstanding.

In May of 2016, police said that a reported luring attempt near Montclair High School may have just been a “traffic dispute.” During that incident, two students said a man driving a blue Buick Century approached their car on Midland Avenue as they were parking. The man allegedly proceeded to gesture for the students to come to his car and didn’t move when the students refused.

• See related article: Attempted 'Luring' Near Montclair High School May Have Been A Traffic Dispute

Other recent encounters between Montclair juveniles and adults include:

• February 2017 - Police said that an attempted luring report took place around 5 p.m. when a man in an "older-style," dark-color van allegedly approached a 10-year-old male as he was walking on Harrison Avenue. According to the Montclair Police Department, the man allegedly pulled his vehicle beside the juvenile, asked if he was lost and offered him a ride. The juvenile didn't respond and fled the scene, police stated.
• January 2017 - Montclair police investigated an alleged attempted luring that took place on Harrison Avenue around 8:20 a.m. During that incident, a male operating a green, "cargo-style van" with no rear windows allegedly approached a nine-year-old boy as he was walking down the street. The male allegedly got out of his car and asked the juvenile if he was lost, at which point the boy immediately left the area, police said.
• January 2017 - A nine-year-old male told Montclair officers that around 4 p.m. a driver in a blue or black color sedan pulled up beside him and started to honk the horn as he was walking in the area of Norwood Avenue and Marion Road. The driver allegedly told the juvenile to follow him, at which point the child fled the scene, police said.

• January 2017 - A reported luring took place around 6:52 p.m. in the area of Park Street and Claremont Avenue. According to police, the victim, a 16-year-old female, told officers that a dark-colored sedan pulled up next to her as she was walking alone south on Park Street. The victim said that the driver of the car repeatedly told her to get into the car until she fled the area on foot. She could only describe the suspect as a male with a possible accent, police said. No photo/sketch of the suspect was available.
• May 2016 – An alleged luring attempt took place around 2:30 p.m. near Sunset Park. A 12-year-old local girl reported that a male around 40-years-old attempted to lure her into his car. According to the juvenile, the man drove up alongside her in a dark-colored sedan and asked, "Can you help me find my puppy?" The suspect then drove away south on Norwood Avenue, police said. Police described the suspect as a white male with black, slicked-back hair, and wearing sunglasses and a black short sleeve shirt.
• April 2016 - According to the Essex County Sheriff's Office, a man in civilian clothing who identified himself as a police officer allegedly approached a group of pre-teens around 5:30 p.m. while they were in Brookdale Park, which is located in Montclair and Bloomfield. The man – described as heavyset and about 50-years-old - reportedly asked the children "Do you want me to throw you in the van?" The children ran away and told police about the incident; officers didn't see any sign of a van in the area.

• March 2016 - A 12-year-old girl in Montclair reported a possible luring incident to police, stating that a man in a black utility van with rear barn doors approached her around 10 p.m. as she was walking on Midland Avenue near Brunswick Road. When the man allegedly told her to "get in," she responded "no" and ran home, police said. The youth said that the man sounded "middle-aged" based on his voice.

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