Wilton Police confirmed Tuesday that there have been two separate reports by neighboring town police departments of minors who have said they’ve been approached by a suspicious man driving a white van–one in Redding early on Tuesday, and one in Norwalk one week ago.
“We haven’t done any formal notifications yet because up until this point, we’ve had only this one incident last week that was down in South Norwalk. Now, with two, and it’s up in Redding, it’s a little closer to home,” said Lt. Donald Wakeman, the Wilton Police public information officer.
According to Wakeman, School Resource Officer Richard Ross will follow department protocol now that there have been two reports, and he will contact the Wilton Board of Education, and the transportation coordinator.
In the incident yesterday, according to several media reports, a female middle school student in Redding was approached by a man in a white van while she was waiting at a bus stop in the morning before school.
In an email to GMW.com, Wakeman noted that in the Redding incident, the driver of a white work-style van with an empty ladder rack on top “…drove past a young female waiting for the bus, rolled down the window and was looking at her. No contact made or attempted. No crime committed.”
Last week, Norwalk police notified city school officials about a suspicious person who allegedly offered candy to a student getting off of a school bus one afternoon, and then reportedly asked the child to get into the car.
As for parents looking for guidance on speaking to their children about these incidents or similar situations, Wakeman said, “It’s always a good idea for parents to talk to their children from a very early age, regarding ‘stranger danger,’ age-appropriate. It’s always good to review. The conversation parents have to review is that there are ‘good’ strangers and there are ‘potentially bad’ strangers and try to help them understand the difference. A police officer is a stranger, but a ‘good’ stranger, as opposed to somebody that pulls up to them driving a van and offers them candy or a ride home. To help them understand the difference.”