Saanich Police are issuing a warning to parents after a boy was approached by a suspicious male Monday afternoon.
Police report an 11-year-old boy was walking home from school on a trail in Swan Creek Park at about 3:15 p.m. Monday when he was approached by an unknown man.
“The man walked up behind the boy, reached out, tapped him on the shoulder and said, ‘You’re coming with me’,” said acting Sgt. Jereme Leslie. “The boy turned around, saw him and just fled.”
The man is described as a white male in his 20s with a red goatee. He was wearing jeans, black shoes and a black pullover hoodie with a kangaroo-style pocket in the front.
He said Swan Creek Park is part of a fairly well-used trail system in the area of Hyacinth Park.
Leslie said there have been no other incidents reported in the area, and police do not see a connection with another report of a strange male approaching a young girl last month in the Lakehill area. Than incident involved an older male in a white truck.
“There’s no nexus between the two that we can see.”
Leslie said police are treating the report very seriously and are asking anyone with information to contact police so they are able to identify the individual in question.
“It is also a reminder to parents to speak to their kids about recognizing a potentially dangerous situation,” he said.
Leslie said some tips include teaching your kids to trust their instincts, telling kids that it’s OK to say no to an adult, not keeping secrets, and talking with a trusted adult about things they find suspicious.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Saanich Police at 250-475-4321.
