Police are appealing for assistance from the public to identify two men who allegedly approached an 11-year-old boy near the Gillen Club last Saturday.
Police received a report on Sunday night that two men in a silver Nissan Navara tried to get the boy to get into their car. The boy told police he was riding his scooter on the footpath near the Gillen Club around 6.15pm on Saturday night when the car drove out of the club carpark.
The boy said the male driver pulled up across the road from him near the corner of Milner Road and Palmer Street . One of the men yelled out to the boy that his parents had sent them to collect him and he should get into the car. When the boy kept riding his scooter, the driver put his car into reverse and started driving backwards to keep up with the child. The boy told police the car drove off when a jogger approached.
The driver of the vehicle is described as a Caucasian male aged 18 or 19, skinny build, with short light brown hair and wearing a white collarless t-shirt. He was also wearing a pair of white Oakley sunglasses. The passenger is described as being about 21-year-old with black hair and wearing a black and red cap. He is described as being of Aboriginal appearance, with a moustache and small goatee. He was wearing a black Nike collarless t-shirt.
Superintendent Sean Parnell said the boy should be commended for abiding by the Stranger Danger warnings.
"The victim did everything right and followed the four R rules of Stranger Danger:
Recognise the danger
Refuse any offer
Run away
Report it to the first person they feel safe with.
"He also had the presence of mind to take notice of the offenders and was able to give us very good descriptions of the men. Police are examining CCTV footage from the Gillen Club in an effort to identify the offenders."
"We are also appealing to anyone who may have seen the incident or who may recognise the description of the two men and their car to come forward. Police would also like to speak to anyone jogging in the area around the time of the offence. Anyone with information should phone police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000."
Media contact:
Theresa Kuilboer
8951 8825
0419 803 603
