Young girl reportedly lured toward car near Cedar Rapids school

Police have increased patrols around a Cedar Rapids school after a young girl was reportedly asked by strangers to get in their car Monday.

Sgt. Cristy Hamblin said an 11-year-old student was walking to Truman Elementary School around 8:40 a.m. when she was approached by a dark-colored car in the 400 block of West Post Road NW. Two men were in the front of the car, and one was in the back seat.

"A couple of them were saying, 'Get in the car, we'll take you anywhere you want,' stuff like that," Hamblin said. "She ran away. She did the right thing."

The girl ran to a nearby church and then went to school, Hamblin said. The incident was reported to police around 10:20 a.m. Monday.

Police have been at the school this week, and have increased other patrols nearby, but have not seen anything else suspicious.

School officials sent a note home with students about the incident that asked parents to talk to their kids about strangers, but police did not notify the media. Hamblin said there was little information about the type of car and the occupants inside.

"We took it as a legitimate incident, and didn't po0-po0 it," Hamblin said. "But there weren't multiple sightings, and we didn't really have a lot to go on. You can't be worried about all dark-colored vehicles."

The girl told police the driver was black and the front passenger was white, but did not see the back-seat passenger enough to provide a description.

A parent contacted SourceMedia Group with information about the letter late Wednesday.

Hamblin said police work with the school system to determine the best way to notify the public. Taft Middle School is located across the street from Truman.

"The intent of the letter from the school and our presence there isn't to generate fear, but to raise awareness," Hamblin said.

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