Wake County parents on alert after reports of lurking men
WAKE FOREST, N.C. (WTVD) -- There's renewed apprehension for parents living in Northern Wake County after another report of children being approached by lurking men.
The cases were first reported last month in Wake Forest. Some parents there have just started receiving new alerts.
A few businesses housed inside The Factory have sent out warnings urging parents to accompany kids at all times. Folks working inside say parents will drop their children off at the sidewalk and pull away.
The Factory is a mecca for kids. They can play sport or partake in activities. Hundreds of children come to the facility during the week and thousands come on any given Saturday.
Soccer Genome, a soccer training center in Wake Forest, blasted out an email to parents about the recent scare. It said in part, "We want to avoid any scenario in which your child is at risk of being approached by anyone who may cause them harm."
On Tuesday, another group of young children was approached in Northeast Raleigh. It happened in the Massey Preserve community.
Raleigh parent Kelly Cooke's 6-year-old daughter was approached.
"It was scary," said Cooke. "It scares me that it keeps happening. And I worry that how bold are they going to get."
Cooke's daughter and friends were playing in the yard. The children noticed a silver or gray SUV with damage on the passenger side rolling through the area. The girls, who knew to be on the lookout, started screaming for help. Cooke said other parents ran outside of their home and took action.
"One of our neighbors had got in her car and went looking for him," said Cooke.
Similar cases have been reported in Rolesville and Wake Forest. The vehicle description is the same in all of the cases. Police have not been able to find the vehicle or catch the two men reportedly on the prowl.
No children have been abducted.
Parents are keeping an especially close eye on their kids - whether in the neighborhood or a familiar location away from their homes.
"We're not letting our kids out," said Cooke.
"I don't want her alone," said Kim Ellington, whose daughter takes music lessons inside The Factory. "She's ten years old. She needs to be with me. Even with her friends and stuff, I wouldn't ever let them walk anywhere without me."
