Man Explains Offering Candy to La Grange Area Girl

LA GRANGE HIGHLANDS, IL – A man who offered candy to a girl walking home from La Grange Highlands Middle School earlier this month explained to officers what he was doing, police said.

Through a public records request, Patch obtained the police report.

According to the report, the girl was arriving at her home in Countryside when she heard the man yell from a white work van, "Do you want some candy?"

She told him, "No, thanks," and ran into her house and told her parents, who called the police.

Watching surveillance footage, officers got the license plate number and found the van was from Horton's of La Grange, 60 S. La Grange Road, police said.

At Horton's, the van's passenger admitted to offering candy, saying he told the driver how bad it would look if he offered candy while in a van, police said. He said he did not think the young girl heard his remark, but later added that she may have because he saw that she was visibly upset.

The driver told police that he thought the passenger was joking. He said he was surprised the girl heard anything at all, police said.

After officers reported back, the family said they were comfortable with the incident being documented and closed, police said.