SHARE

Lyndhurst police: Boys made up story of luring attempt

CLIFFVIEW PILOT SCOOP: Two 11-year-old Lyndhurst boys, warned by their parents about a string of luring attempts in the county, made up a story about a local contractor trying to convince them to get into his van Monday afternoon, Police Chief James O’Connor told CLIFFVIEW PILOT. “We don’t know if they did it for attention or what. We have no idea,” the chief said. “But it never happened.”

Photo Credit: Cliffview Pilot File Photo
Photo Credit: Cliffview Pilot

“Their parents had them on high alert because of what’s going on around the county,” O’Connor told CLIFFVIEW PILOT just after midnight.  “”This poor guy is toiling out there, trying to make a buck. He was doing work [Monday] afternoon in the neighborhood where they live.

“For whatever reason, they memorized his license plate and made up the story.”

A mother called police, who were easily able to find the 27-year-old, out-of-county contractor, who was at a job on Valley Brook Road when the youngsters saw his white van.

“He was 100 percent cooperative, an absolute gentleman,” O’Connor told CLIFFVIEW PILOT. “He told us to look through the truck, whatever we felt we needed to do.”

While detectives were talking to him, others were interviewing the boys separately, the chief said.

“After some intensive questions, both kids said it wasn’t true,” O’Connor said.

The heightened awareness stemmed from incidents the past 10 days in Hackensack, Maywood and Oradell in which possible luring attempts were reported. Both Hackensack and Maywood police released sketches, while adding that the descriptions were very similar. The vehicles, however, were all different.

Two other incidents reported out of Washington Township a month ago don’t appear related to the more recent reports.

ALSO SEE:

Have you seen this man? Hackensack police issue sketch (SEE: BELOW, RIGHT)

COMPOSITE courtesy Hackensack PD

Maywood police seek man in possible child luring

Oradell incident connected to possible luring?

Separate Westwood High School luring incidents reported in Washington Township


CHECK BACK FOR MORE DETAILS

to follow Daily Voice Hackensack and receive free news updates.

SCROLL TO NEXT ARTICLE