For the second time in a week, a man drove up to a female student walking to Horace Mann Middle School in northwest Denver and tried to get her to climb into his car, prompting the school to send a warning letter home and police to increase patrols.
In both instances, the girls were unharmed.
At 7:05 a.m. Tuesday, a man driving a sport-utility vehicle approached a 12-year-old sixth-grader walking at West 43rd Avenue and Navajo Street and ordered her to get into the vehicle, said Denver police spokesman John White. She was two blocks from the school, at 4130 Navajo St.
“She refused, ran to school and notified the principal’s office,” White said.
The man, believed to be in his mid-40s with blond hair and a braided goatee, was driving a blue vehicle, possibly a Cadillac Escalade, that had black flames on the side, principal Linda Torres said. The girl said the license plate included the letters “D” and “E.”
“She did very well,” Torres said. “There are people out there who are not very nice.”
On Oct. 12 at about 8:15 a.m., a man with blond hair drove up to an eighth-grader walking along the 4400 block of Raritan Street and asked her if she wanted a ride, White said. She also ran to the school and reported the incident, Torres said.
The man was driving an older- model El Camino, White said.
It appears that the same man was involved both times, according to Torres.
“It’s very scary to hear that someone is looking around for young girls,” said Maria Jimenez, who drops off and picks up three granddaughters every day at Horace Mann. “I tell (my granddaughters) to be careful, to be on the lookout. I tell them to run and scream and see what he looks like.”
Torres sent a letter home with students that warns parents about the two incidents and gives tips about what they should tell their children.
Jennie Renteria, who takes her eighth-grade son to and from the middle school every day, said Tuesday that she has seen men slowly drive by in vans and talk to kids. Too often, young girls in short dresses walk alone to school, she said.
“All these little girls – and these sickos are looking at them,” Renteria said.
Denver Public Schools spokeswoman Tanya Caughey said students should walk with a buddy and immediately run when approached by a stranger.
They should yell, “I’m not your child” or “You’re not my parent,” said Torres’ letter, which was in English on one side and Spanish on the other.
The letter said kids should back up and run to a safe area.
Torres said teachers will speak with students about how they should respond when they are approached by a stranger.
On Tuesday afternoon, several police cars were patrolling the area, and authorities plan to increase patrols there.
Staff writer Kirk Mitchell can be reached at 303-820-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com.
