San Diego police are investigating a report that a middle-schooler was approached by a stranger who asked the girl to hop in his van for money, according to police.
The girl said she ran away, and the driver fled the scene, police said in a news release.
The girl told police that a stranger pulled up in a van alongside her near the intersection of Hidden Trails Road and Ocean View Hills Parkway as she walked to Vista Del Mar Middle School about 7 a.m. Monday morning, police said.
The girl said the suspect asked — in both English and Spanish — if she would get into his van for money and if she had a boyfriend.
The man got out of the van but the girl ran away, she told police. He then drove away from the scene, heading south on Ocean View Hills Parkway.
An officer arrived at the middle school soon after to investigate the incident, district officials said.
“Student safety is the top priority for our school district,” said District Superintendent Gina Potter in an email to parents. “If your child is in a dangerous situation, please remind them to go to a safe place as soon as possible, tell you or a trusted adult, and contact the police by calling 911 for help.”
The driver was described as 40-year-old man, with a full beard and mustache, police said. He has several tattoos on one of his arms, including one tattoo of the virgin Mary and another of a rosary, according to district officials.
The girl said the alleged suspect was wearing sunglasses, a red and black baseball hat. She described his vehicle as a late model white Ford Ecoline van, according to police.
District officials asked anyone with information about the incident to contact a San Ysidro school district principal, the San Diego Police Department or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
