SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio — Police in Shaker Heights are searching for a man who allegedly approached kids and offered candy to them outside the Shaker Heights Family Center.
The incident happened this past Saturday sometime between 3 and 5 p.m. at the center on Sussex Road. A 19-year-old woman reported that a man wearing a mask approached her younger siblings while they were playing outside, talked to them and then offered them candy. Police described it as a COVID mask.
“I was surprised but it happens everywhere,” said Sarah Letsky, who visits the same park with her children. “It’s nothing that parents want to hear about. But, we can just do our best to keep our kids as safe as we can and talk to them about if they ever were in that situation.”
The woman's siblings reportedly declined the man's offer, then immediately told her what had happened. When she went to speak with the man, he took off in a white van with a ladder on it, Shaker Heights police said.
“She really wanted to talk to him and understand why he was offering the children — who were unaccompanied at the time — candy,” Commander John Cole told 3News. “These children did exactly what they’re supposed to do. There was a person who they didn’t know who approached them, asked them questions, so they went right back to the adult.”
“That is very upsetting,” said Jan Clifford, who grew up and raised her family in the area. “It’s disconcerting to me because the more I read on Nextdoor — the app about the area — it seems like more and more things are going on.”
Police are now looking for the man, described as being in his late 30s or early 40s with a medium to dark complexion. Anyone with information is asked to call the Shaker Heights Police Department at 216-491-1278.
“Talk with your kids. Help them understand not to talk to strangers. Make sure you know where your children are at all times,” Cole said.
MORE FROM WKYC:
MORE HEADLINES: