Boy approached by man in green van

Police in Coeur d’Alene are urging parents to talk to their children about strangers after an 11-year-old boy reported being approached Thursday afternoon by a man he didn’t know in the Landings Park neighborhood.

The boy told police a light green cargo van stopped near him after he got off the school bus and began walking home. An unknown man got out of the passenger seat and approached the boy telling him to “Come here,” and saying he had something for the boy.

The child immediately turned and ran away.

The person who approached the boy is described as a white man, between 30 and 40 years old. He is approximately 5 foot 8 inches tall with a medium build. The man had mid-length brown hair, a brown mustache and a strip of brown hair on his chin.

The man reportedly got out of a light, possibly sage, green cargo-type van with white scratches on both sides. The van had dark tinted windows on the front driver and passenger doors and the two doors on the back of the van.

There were no windows on the rear sides of the van. The van’s license plate appeared to be an Idaho Wildlife Bluebird plate. Anyone with information about this van or its occupants is urged to contact the Coeur d’Alene Police Department at 208-769-2320.

The Coeur d’Alene Police Department is reminding parents to have conversations with their children about strangers and what to do if they are approached by someone they don’t know. Some safety tips are:

- Don’t go anywhere with someone you don’t know.

- If you are approached by a stranger, get help immediately.

- When looking for help, always go to a trusted adult.

- Avoid walking anywhere alone; use the buddy system.

- Report any suspicious activity immediately