Attempted Child Luring in Haddon Twp. Monday Night

Haddon Township police reported today that a man tried to lure a 7-year-old boy into a minivan Monday night as the boy was playing in the 600 block of Black Horse Pike West.

The incident happened around 7:25 p.m. April 8, near the Sleepy's mattress store. Officials say the boy was playing in an alley at the rear of the store when a man in a white minivan pulled up and told him to get in.

The boy fled and told his parents.

Police are asking anyone who may have seen the van or the incident to contact them immediately at 856-854-1176, Ext 4153 or the anonymous tip line at Ext. 4TIP (4847).

This incident was the first that the Camden County Prosecutor's Office had heard of in a month and a half, said spokesman Jason Laughlin. He remarked that the child in the Haddon Township incident demonstrated good judgment in being wary of strangers.

"Parents need to keep an eye on their children and make sure that if they're not in the company of their parents that they're in the company of a responsible adult, and that if they're not in a place where they can see them, they're in a familiar place," Laughlin said.

"Make sure a child is aware that if a stranger approaches them that they know what to do."