VPD asks for the public's help to find a suspect after a man approached a girl in East Vancouver

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Police in Vancouver are appealing for help while warning parents and their children after a man tried to lure an 11-year-old girl into a car on Thursday afternoon.

The incident happened at 4 p.m. in the area of Charles and Windermere Streets.

Investigators say the man pulled up next to the girl and offered her a ride then some money. She turned both down and walked away, while the man gave up and stopped trying.

She wasn’t physically hurt but was a shaken and Constable Jason Doucette explains she did the right thing by going straight home and telling an adult.

“Every situation is different. We’re asking parents to speak to their children about what they would like them to do if they do encounter a stranger that’s making them uncomfortable. We encourage these kids to find a trusted adult, whether they go into a store, a populated area or in their neighbourhood.”

Police have some surveillance footage of the man driving by, but they need more. Doucette says they’re now appealing for any witnesses to come forward.

“The car is identifiable. If you recognize the person in the car or the vehicle itself, give us a call. We’re just looking to see what his intentions were.”

The VPD know, but aren’t saying due to privacy reasons, where the girl was walking to or from although she was walking alone.

“We have officers in the area still doing a canvass looking for witnesses, trying to locate the vehicle itself. We’re speaking to our partner agencies nearby to see if there any similar circumstances. We’re not aware of any other circumstances with a similar description,” adds Doucette.

The force isn’t calling this an attempted abduction right now because they don’t know the man’s motive.

Doucette says analysts with the VPD are looking into whether there have been any other incidents like this in the area in previous years but so far, they haven’t found any.

The man is described as a white man in his 40s, with a thin build, and a thick brown moustache. He was wearing glasses and a dark blue jacket with stripes down the sleeves. When asked if he may have been wearing a disguise, Doucette says they’re not sure.

The car is described as a silver, two-door vehicle, possibly a Chevy Cavalier or Pontiac Sunfire.

Anyone with any information about this case is asked to call detectives at 604.717.0602 or CrimeStoppers at 1.800.222.8477.