[Updated] Man Reportedly Tried to Lure Boys to Vehicle in West Hartford

[Updated Wednesday, 2:15 p.m.] West Hartford Police Lt. Chris Chappell said in a telephone interview that the man who gestured to the three boys in two separate incidents Tuesday was in his 60s.

The man, according to the incident report, had dark gray hair and was driving a Honda CR-V.

Chappell said that no law had apparently been broken, but that the police would want to question the man to see if he had an arrest record or if there was any ill intent.

"We would investigate that and make sure the person is not a predator and check his record," Chappell said. "He could have been lost. He never said anything to them. He just gestured to them. Even so, we like to err on the side of caution."

As a reminder, Chappell said that parents should tell their kids, if they are approached by a stranger, to not go with that person and instead to go to a place where they feel safe, such as home, a friend's home or a store they are familiar with. Then they should call the police.

"Don’t engage [the stranger] in any conversation," Chappell said.  .

Chappell said that the boys in this situation did the right thing by going back to the store or going to a friend's house. There was, however, an hour delay before the police were called, Chappell said.

[Original Story]

A man in a mini-SUV followed a 12-year-old boy from a West Hartford neighborhood pizzeria Tuesday evening and eventually motioned the boy to get in his vehicle.

According to the boy’s mother, the boy left Jimmie’s Pizza at 765 Farmington Ave. and started walking toward his home around 4:45 p.m. when a man in a light-grey mini-SUV driving approach slowly on the east side of Walkley Road near Farmington Avenue.

The man stopped his vehicle and motioned with his index finger for the boy to approach the car and get in, according to the boy’s mother.

The boy ran back to Jimmie’s and called an acquaintance. Two of the boy’s friends later called the boy to say that a man had followed them when they were walking home while heading toward Bainbridge Road, according to the mother. The two boys ran to a friend’s house.

The West Hartford police were contacted about the matter and interviewed the boys; a message was left with the police public information officer for additional details.