An incident that occurred in a Sterling neighborhood the night of Tuesday, March 20, has authorities encouraging parents to talk to their children about stranger danger.
A 5-year-old boy was outside playing with a friend in the area of St. Charles Square just before 8 p.m. when an unknown man came running toward him. The boy screamed and his mother ran outside, just in time to see, what she reported to authorities as the shadow of the man running around the corner.
Sheriff Steve Simpson said now is a good time for parents to remind their children to check in with them, be aware of their surroundings and to inform them of suspicious events in their neighborhood.
"With the arrival of spring comes outside activities and now is a good time to talk with your children about safety," said Sheriff Steve Simpson in a press release.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Web site lists a number of things parents should tell their children about safety including reminding them to check in before they leave the house, accept anything, or get into a car with anyone, discourage them from going outside alone and reminding them to say no if someone tries to touch them or treat them in a way that makes them feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused. Get out of the situation as quickly as possible.
For more information, visit www.missingkids.com.