East County Child Luring Attempts Under Investigation

EAST SAN DIEGO COUNTY -- The San Diego County Sheriff's Dept. and local police departments are investigating a string of attempts in recent days to lure children into cars.

According to San Diego NBC affiliate KNSD, Sheriff's Dept. deputies have confirmed that a stranger tried to lure a Lakeside Middle School student into his car Wednesday morning.

The student was walking near Woodside Avenue and Winter Gardens Boulevard on their way to campus when they were approached by a man in a blue car who pointed to the student and made motions calling the student his way.

The student ignored the man, kept walking, and later reported the incident to school staff, according to the sheriff's department. Lakeside Middle School then sent out a letter to parents Wednesday that said the man was a passenger in a car driven by a woman. The school says the driver never rolled down their window or made verbal contact.

The same day, Flying Hills Elementary School in El Cajon sent a letter to parents warning them of two luring attempts near the campus this week, KNSD reports.

The first incident happened Monday afternoon and was reported Tuesday. A student was walking down Swallow Drive with her younger sister and grandma when a man approached them and told them to come with him, telling them he "is not scary," the school said.

The person was described as an older white male with a gray beard. He was last seen wearing khaki shorts, a black baseball cap and a Volcom brand backpack, and he was smoking, according to the school.

The second incident happened after school Tuesday when a student walking on Heron Avenue when a Caucasian man in his 20s driving a red Honda or Toyota pulled over and tried to the lure the student to his car.