Police are looking for four men who've apparently been trying to lure kids into a car with candy — a textbook kidnapping maneuver.
According to an NYPD spokesperson, the men were spotted at least twice on Saturday, between Sunset Park and Borough Park, Brooklyn. They first approached two boys, ages 10 and 11, near 47th Street and 18th Avenue around 8:30 p.m., trying to coax them over to the vehicle. According to CBS New York, the kids heard the men say something like, "‘Come here boys, come here,'" before the driver and one of the backseat passengers began to climb out of the car. Spooked, the boys bolted, and the men drove off.
Police believe the same group of men targeted a second pair of kids shortly thereafter, pulling up alongside a 12-year-old girl and 9-year-old boy walking along 55th Street, and offering them candy. The kids didn't take the bait, but their mother told NBC New York they remain "traumatized" over the incident.
"The car stopped and he said, 'Come, come over here, we have candies for you,'" she said. When the children ignored the men, she continued, "They started getting out of the car. And once they got out of the car, [the kids] ran for their life."
NBC reports that the suspects drove a Toyota Rav 4, and although police could not confirm the car's exact model, images sourced from security camera footage suggest it was some kind of SUV or minivan. According to Pix 11, the vehicle was blue, as seen in security footage shared by Boro Park Shomrim.
Police are seeking any info you might have about this attempted child-luring. Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting www.nypdcrimestoppers.com, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
