Surrey Mounties have issued a series of “stranger safety” tips as they alert the public to a man having allegedly followed a youngster in Newton on Saturday afternoon and repeatedly asking the child to go into the woods with him to look for something.
Corporal Joanie Sidhu said this happened shortly before 1 p.m. Nov. 14, in the 7600-block of 125th Street.
“It was reported that the unknown man repeatedly asked the child to enter a wooded area with him to help him look for lost property,” she said. “A bystander who witnessed this incident confronted the unknown man and he fled the area.”
Sidhu said the man is possibly Middle Eastern, in his early 40s, about six feet tall, and is slender, bald, and has light brown eyes and “waxy looking” skin. He was wearing a charcoal grey sweater and black sweat pants.
The Surrey RCMP advises parents to remind their children to not go anywhere with someone they don’t know, to stay more than an arm’s reach from strangers, to seek help immediately if approached by a stranger, and to trust their instincts.
“If you feel you are being followed or something is not right, seek help immediately,” Sidhu said. “When seeking help, always go to a trusted adult – teacher, coach, police officer, other parent, or older sibling.
“If a stranger grabs you, do everything you can to stop them from pulling you away,” she added. “Drop to the ground, kick, hit, bite and scream. Do whatever it takes to attract the attention of other who can help you. If someone is dragging you away, scream, ‘this is not my dad,’ or “this is not my mom.'”
And also, report any suspicious activity to your local school and police department.
Police are asking anyone with information about this incident to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502, or Crime Stoppers, if they wish to remain anonymous, at 1-800-222-8477 or www.solvecrime.ca.
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