4 Child Abduction Attempts Reported in Oak Park, Berwyn

A man tried abducting three children in Oak Park and a fourth in Berwyn, police said

A man tried luring several children into his car in two suburbs in the past week, police said, warning parents.

According to local officials, the man tried abducting three children in Oak Park and a fourth in Berwyn. In each case he tried to get them into his car by offering them a ride or by trying to start a conversation.

Two of the attempted abductions happened near elementary schools in Oak Park.

On Friday afternoon near Hatch Elementary School, 1000 N. Ridgeland Ave., in Oak Park., a boy said a man sitting in his car tried to talk to him about a dog.

On Monday morning, two more incidents were reported, one at 7:30 a.m. near Longfellow Elementary School, 715 S. Highland Ave., in Oak Park and the other an hour later and about a mile away in the 800 block of South Oak Park Avenue.

In the first case the student said he or she was being followed by a car, and in the second, a child said the driver beeped his horn and tried to get him or her to jump in the car, asking if they needed a ride.

On Tuesday near Lincoln Middle School, 6432 W. 16th St., in Berwyn, a boy said a man in a car asked him for help. Police describe the man as being in his 40s or 50s.

All the children are safe and reported the incident to police.

Police on Wednesday morning plan to step up patrol in the areas around those schools.
 

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