Atlas Twp. – Parents breathed a sigh of relief when a possible bus-stop abduction attempt turned out to be only a friendly former neighbor who’d dyed his hair.
‘We were glad that we didn’t have a person out in neighborhoods looking for kids,? said Reid Elementary Principal Paul Minns, who had promptly sent a letter home urging parents to be at bus stops with students.
The school’s policy, especially with the youngest children, is to wait to release a child until a parent is seen. For the child’s safety, bus drivers will often wait at the stop until office personnel contact the home, said Minns, and may be directed to bring the child back to the school if unable to make contact.
Parents should remain cautious, warns Detective Sgt. Joe Parks, commander of the Genesee County Atlas Township precinct.
The neighbor driving the white pickup truck accounted for only one of two white truck incidents in the area. A small white Chevrolet pickup truck was reported in other areas of the county as well.
Police are also asking residents to call 911 immediately if they see a blue pickup truck with a waving American flag decal covering the entire rear window. The truck, thought to be a Chevrolet make, has been seen suspiciously lingering in Atlas Township.