Portland police siren

Portland police are warning the public about a report of a man in a pickup who approached a teenage girl.

(The Oregonian/OregonLive/file)

A 17-year-old girl told police that a man tried to lure her into his pickup truck as she was walking through the Eastmoreland neighborhood in Southeast Portland earlier this week.

The girl told police that she was walking along Southeast Bybee Boulevard near 28th Avenue -- just south of the Eastmoreland Golf Course and the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden -- when a man driving a pickup approached her from behind. The teen told police that the driver offered her a ride, she refused, and he ordered her to get into his pickup.

She again refused and he drove off, she said. The teen said the encounter happened at about 11 a.m. Wednesday, and she spoke to Central Precinct officers at about noon.

The girl said the man was driving a newer tan pickup and was wearing a tan coat and sunglasses. She thought he was in his late 40s to early 50s, had a medium build and light-colored hair that was cut short.

Police are asking people who live in the area and have surveillance cameras on their homes to check them for possible video evidence in this case. Residents who find evidence should email police at CrimeTips@portlandoregon.gov.

Police encourage people who are approached by strangers who try to lure them to call 911. Police also say witnesses should call 911, too.

The National Crime Prevention Council offers tips parents can offer their children about stranger danger on the council's website.

Portland police offer free self-defense classes and personal-safety workshops to residents across the metro area. To learn more about these programs, call 503-823-0260 or visit this police bureau's website.

-- Aimee Green