Police warn of ‘stranger danger’ reported near Tigard elementary school

TIGARD, Ore. (KPTV) - Police officers in Tigard are asking parents to talk to their children about safety after a report Wednesday of a stranger approaching an elementary student and offering a ride home and toys.

Officers said the incident happened along Katherine Street near 125th Avenue, within walking distance of Mary Woodward Elementary School.

The child was not harmed in the incident and was able to run and get to a safe location.

“Something like that makes me question my priority list as to what I think is important and what I’m teaching my children,” said Paul Cantrell, worried parent who lives nearby.

According to police, the child involved in the case said the suspect was a white man around 30 years old with a short salt-and-pepper beard.

The child described the suspect’s vehicle as a white work van with tinted windows and a tarp covering the rear windows, a dent in the rear and an Oregon license plate with a tree emblem.

Investigators credited the child with being observant and aware of their surroundings, adding that this was a good lesson for parents.

“It makes you really question how much you’ve talked to your children and when’s the last time you sat down and talked to them,” said Cantrell.

Anyone who may have seen the suspect’s vehicle in the area of the incident is asked to contact the Tigard Police Department tip line by phone at 503-718-2677 or by email at tips@tigard-or.gov.

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