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"Sketchy" Weirdos Trying To Lure Kids Terrorize New Jersey
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 14, 2012
Modified Oct 14, 2012
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By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 14, 2012
Modified Oct 14, 2012
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Residents of northern NJ towns are freaking out about four reported luring/attempted abductions of children in the past few weeks. At this point, police have distributed two sketches of possible suspects—and the sketches sure make the possible pedos look creepy. But it's now believed that the same man could be responsible for all the attempted lurings!
Incidents in Oradell, Maywood and Hackensack lead police to be believe that one man—described as middle-age, 5' and 160 pounds, with scruffy facial hair and salt-and-pepper hair—is connected to them. The man is accused of 1) telling a 11-year-old to come and see his puppies; 2) asking where Costco is and then trying to get the child to enter his car; and 3) approaching a 7-year-old girl and her little brother while the kids were in their yard (the kids ran into the house).
More recently, Hackensack police released a sketch of a man who tried to approach an 11-year-old walking to middle school and asking where the Costco is—while the description is apparently similar to the other incidents, the sketch shows a leaner-looking male. On Thursday, the Hackensack police said, "Based on the description we're getting, we believe it could be the same person," but now they don't think they are connected. Either, authorities are telling parents and children to be vigilant.
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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