Man tries to lure boy into car

A stranger tried to coax a seven-year-old boy into his car at a school bus stop, the latest in a string of inappropriate contacts that includes an attempted kidnapping.

The most recent encounter occurred the week of April 19 when the boy, a Dunbar School student, stepped off his bus on Hwy 12 in the Springs. The suspect asked the boy, in Spanish, if he wanted a ride home. When the boy’s mother approached, the man got into the car through the passenger door and it drove off.

The car, said to be occupied by two other men, was described as an older, blue, two-door sedan. The license plate was not noted. The suspect was described as a 30-year-old Hispanic of medium height, wearing shorts, sneakers and a T-shirt.

On January 30, a man approached a child on the El Verano School campus and asked if she needed a ride home. When the girl refused, the suspect grabbed her by the arm, according to the Sheriff’s report, but she was able to escape and run away. The physical contact merits a charge of attempting kidnapping.

The Sheriff’s Department described the suspect in that encounter as Hispanic male adult, about 30 years old, between five-foot-eight and six-feet tall, with a thin-to-average build. He had a medium-to-dark complexion, and may have a light mustache. He spoke English with a heavy accent and fluent Spanish.

His car was described as a red compact passenger car, similar to a Ford Focus.
Detectives believe that the suspect in that case is also responsible for three similar incidents since November: another case at El Verano Elementary, and two at Sassarini. In each of those cases the suspect asked a girl if she wanted a ride home, but there was no physical contact.

Any person with information about any of these incidents is encouraged to call the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Bureau at 565-2185, the Valley sub-station at 996-9495, or the Sonoma Police Department at 996-3602.