• Parents: please review important stranger safety procedures with your children. This past Friday and Monday, Issaquah police responded to two different suspicious incidents in the downtown corridor:
  • On Friday, Sept. 22, a 13-year-old girl was approached by a male driving a maroon SUV at about 2:43 p.m. in the 200 block of West Sunset Way. The SUV drove past the girl then turned around. The driver asked her if she wanted a ride, but she refused. The SUV drove away then turned around and drove by again. The driver was described as a white male in his 30s with short, messy, black and gray hair.
  • On Monday, Sept. 25, a white van blocked the path of a 13-year-old girl who was walking down the sidewalk in the 100 block of Newport Way N.W. at 2:43 p.m. The male driver asked the girl questions and directions. The girl recognized the van and the man from when he’d had contact with her in May 2006. The girl immediately called a family member from her cell phone, and the man drove away. Officers located the van—a 1992 Chrysler Town and Country—a few blocks away and arrested the driver, a 41-year-old Bellevue resident.

 

Anyone with tips or concerns can contact the Issaquah Police Department at 425-837-3200.

 

Safety advice for students:

·      Never talk to a stranger.

·      Never let a stranger get too close, whether the stranger is in a car or walking.

·      Never tell a stranger any personal information, such as your name, age, or address.

·      Always try to walk in pairs with a friend or an adult.

·      Stick to safe, well-lit paths when walking.

·      Do not obstruct your hearing with iPods are portable music players when walking or waiting outside.

·      If a stranger tries to grab you, yell as loudly as you can and run away.

·      Always alert an adult immediately if you are approached by a suspicious person.