Police in Vacaville, California are praising a quick-thinking teen for eluding a stranger who was trying to speak to her.
In newly released footage, the girl can be seen walking on a sidewalk as a car creeps alongside her. When the driver attempts to engage with her, the girl keeps a parked pickup truck between them.
The car drives away but then circles back through the neighborhood several times. When it slows down near her, the teen uses the truck for cover. Once the suspicious car drove in the opposite direction, she ran for home.
“You can imagine as you get in close proximity to the car, anything could happen,” Vacaville police spokesman Matt Lydon told NBC Bay Area. “And she distanced herself in the situation and absolutely did the right thing.”
Police did not give the girl’s age but referred to her as a teenager in interviews with local media.
“He attempted to talk to her, but she wasn’t sure about what he was trying to communicate to her,” Lydon told Fox40 in Sacramento. “Anytime an adult male is trying to get the attention of a teen who doesn’t know him, it’s concerning.”
Police said there was no evidence of a crime, but they want to talk to the driver.
“We don’t want to assume the worst of his intentions,” the police department wrote on Facebook. “But we defiantly would like to talk with him.”
The department is seeking the public’s help in identifying him and urging parents to warn their kids about avoiding strangers.
“Please watch out for cars that are following you, never approach strangers sitting in cars and NEVER get into a car with a stranger,” the department wrote on Facebook.
Parents said they plan to use the footage as a teaching tool for their own kids: