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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Two child luring cases reported in North Idaho

Coeur d’Alene police are investigating a possible child enticement case after a 12-year-old girl said she was followed home from school on Tuesday by a man driving a van. The girl said she was walking east on Mullan Avenue from 15th Street when an eastbound van passed her slowly about 3:20 p.m. The van drove away but appeared again a short while later, when the driver pulled up next to her and motioned for her to get in, the girl told police. The man drove away when she refused but was soon parked on Mullan facing west as she approached 20th Street. The girl called her grandmother, who met her at 20th Street but didn’t see the van, police said today. The girl described the man as possibly 40 to 50 years old, unshaven and wearing a royal blue baseball hat. The van is described as dark blue with gray striped and tinted windows. A girl in Post Falls reported a similar incident Nov. 9. She said a man in a van approached her near Mullan Avenue and Spokane Street as she was walking home from school at 3:10 p.m. The girl declined the man’s offer for a ride and walked to a nearby library as he circled the block twice, police said today. The man was described as in his mid 30s and wearing a white t-shirt, black and grey zip-up sweatshirt with no hood. He was described as having short blond hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information on either case is asked to call Coeur d’Alene police at (208) 769-2320 or Post Falls police at (208) 773-3517. Police are asking parents to review safety information regarding strangers with their children and to report any suspicious circumstances.