Stranger Danger Alert in Southeast Portland After Several Incidents Involving School Children

If any residents in the area of these incidents have surveillance cameras, investigators are asking them to check for any possible images of the suspect(s).

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - The Portland Police Bureau is asking the community to be aware of several reported incidents where strangers are approaching school children in Southeast Portland.

In the past five days, Youth Services Division officers have taken reports of strangers approaching school children in the areas of Creston School, located at 4701 Southeast Bush Street; Ron Russell Middle School, located at 3955 Southeast 112th Avenue; and, Hosford Middle School, located at 2303 Southeast 28th Place.

The Creston School incidents occurred on June 3:

The first was at approximately 8:30 a.m., when a two girls in the 3rd and 6th grade were walking to school and a scruffy-looking African American male in his 30s driving a smaller, white SUV, pulled up to them and offered them a ride to school. When they declined, he offered them $20 and they ran away to the school.

The second incident was at approximately 11:00 a.m., when two girls were running through Creston Park as part of their PE class when a man standing near the pool exposed himself. The man was described as a dirty white male, heavyset, bald, gray beard, possibly homeless.

Wednesday morning at approximately 10:00 a.m., a female student at Ron Russell Middle School reported that two people in an older white van approached her and asked her to get into the van. The driver was reported to be a male, unknown race. The passenger was described as a white female in her 20s. The van was described as an older white van with tinted windows.

At approximately 11:30 a.m., staff at Hosford Middle School reported that a student was in the office saying that she was on her way to school when a man grabbed her by the wrist near the food carts on Division Street. She described the man as an older Asian American, possibly Chinese.

While each of these incidents appears to involve different people and it is not clear what their intentions are in approaching the kids, it's alarming enough for the Police Bureau to share this information publicly.

The Portland Police Bureau would like to remind parents to talk to their children about "stranger danger" to keep them safe.

If any residents in the area of this incident have residential surveillance cameras, investigators are asking them to check recordings for any possible images of the suspect.

Anyone seeing this suspect or encountering him is asked to immediately call 9-1-1. Anyone with non-emergency information should call (503) 823-3333.

All other information can be emailed to crimetips@portlandoregon.gov.

The Portland Police Bureau WomenStrength and GirlStrength programs provide free self-defense classes and personal safety workshops to people around the Portland area.

To learn more information about WomenStrength and GirlStrength, call (503) 823-0260 or visit portlandonline.com/police/womenstrength.