Orange County Parents Are On The Lookout For Alleged Child Predator
Posted January 22, 2001 6:00 a.m. EST
CHAPEL HILL — Parents in Orange County are worried about their children's safety. Someone has been approaching children and trying to lure them into his car. All of the kids have gotten away, but police are afraid one day that might not be the case.
Peggy Dreher is keeping a close eye on her three children these days after an alleged child molester was recently spotted in her neighborhood.
"On the way to and from school, you are seeing a lot more parents involved. Even if they are not my kids, and I am watching them, I'm watching the neighborhood kids go home and making sure they got in. It's just more of an awareness and a caring of what's going on," she says.
Police say the first incident took place mid-September in Carrboro along Hillsborough Road. The latest alleged attempted abduction involved two girls who were approached by a stranger at the 600 block of Franklin Street. When the suspect approached the girls, they ran away.
"When you don't have much of anything in the way of leads, it can be frustrating to have to play the waiting game," says Matthew Dean of the Carrboro Police Department.
Police are trying to figure out if any of the cases are related because the description of the suspect is different in each case. Here are a few recommendations to keep your children safe.
If you have any information on any of the incidents, you are asked to call Crimestoppers at919-226-CRIME.