Barrington police investigating incident

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Updated: February 27, 2012 8:31AM

Barrington police are investigating a Friday incident in which a stranger offered a ride to a 13-year-old girl walking home from her bus stop.

Around 3:30 p.m. Friday, the girl was walking home from her bus stop at Dundee Avenue and Lake Street in Barrington.

According to police, a man driving an older model, dark-colored Chrysler Town and Country mini-van made a U-turn and stopped in the street to talk to the girl. He offered to give her a ride.
Barrington police released a description of the man, stating he is a heavy-set white male, between 40-50 years-old with white hair and a beard.

According to Police Chief Jerry Libit, when the girl refused the ride, the man stopped the car. The girl ran home and told her father what happened.

“She saw the car proceed toward Hough Street,” Libit said, adding the girl was alone at the time of the incident.

Police checked the area, but could not find the vehicle or subject. No similar reports were made on Friday or in recent months in Barrington.

Strangers talking to juveniles in Algonquin and Carpentersville have been reported recently, but Barrington police do not believe this incident is related to those. The vehicle description and that of the subjects is significantly different in the incidents, the release stated.

Barrington Community Unit School District 220 Chief Communications Officer Jeff Arnett said Monday the district would be communicating with parents via email by Tuesday morning. Students were not in attendance Monday because of an Institute Day.

“The incident Friday was the third similar occurrence in the last two weeks in our area,” Arnett said. “Two of those were outside of the school district, but the one on Friday happened within our boundaries. We will be in communication with parents again by Tuesday morning to remind them and their children they should always be wary of strangers who approach students walking to or from school.”

Arnett said that following the first incident in Carpentersville about two weeks ago, the district communicated with families to remind them to exercise caution.

“It’s imperative to remind students and their families they need to be safe at all times,” Arnett said.

Barrington police also offered advice to jeep children safe.

“In this kind of situation where it’s in a car, kids should ignore the stranger and head directly home,” Libit said.