Multiple child luring cases in the past month spark concern

Seattle Police have responded to three child luring incidents in the past month of August.

The incidents span from West Seattle to Lake City, to Wallingford. The most recent incident happened on Wednesday when a man tried to lure a five-year-old girl into leaving with him.

The little girl declined and a teacher stepped in. The teacher took the child away and the school went into lockdown while police investigated. However, that suspect has still not been caught.

“You like puppies, you like candy, these kinds of things but I would go into the part about you don’t know these people and it’s up to an adult to let you know it’s okay to talk with them or not talk with them but if you try to do that on your own, it’s probably not safe for you,” said Jim Fuda, the director of Crime Stoppers Puget Sound.

He said it’s vital that parents talk with their kids about stranger danger, especially as kids head back to school.

“You have to be leery and please don’t go around these people. If you feel threatened don’t be afraid to tell someone about it,” Fuda said.

Less than a week ago, a 24-year-old man was arrested in Lake City for trying to get a little girl into his car using a stuffed animal. It’s a ruse that predators often use says Fuda.

“Little kids it’s like if someone offers you candy, or you want to go see my puppy or can you help me find my cat, that kind of thing,” he said.

The suspect in this case was arrested but was later released by the court on his own recognizance. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office had requested bail be set at $75,000.

The prosecuting attorney’s office also said police haven’t referred the case to them so they can’t file charges yet. Their office said if they get the referral, they will act on it immediately.

At the beginning of August, police said another man tried to grab a little boy at a park in West Seattle. That suspect also has not been caught. Crimestoppers is offering rewards of up to $1,000 for any information that leads to an arrest and a charge in these cases. You can remain anonymous.

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