DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Daytona Beach Police are investigating a suspicious incident after a mother reported a man gave children money and then lured them into his car.

  • Man tried to lure kids into car, says DBPD
  • Man reportedly had tattoos of guns, tear drop tatooed on his face

"If you don't know them, don't get in the car, don't walk to the car, don't talk to them. Alert an adult," said Kanisha Howard.

Howard said as soon as she got a call she rushed home from work after finding out a man lured her 5-year-old son into his car.

She said he was scared.

"That's scary because I don't want anything to happen to my kids. I just don't know what I would've done if something would've happened to him," Howard said.

Howard said it happened around 5 p.m. Tuesday evening when several children in an apartment complex were playing outside.

Police said a white Chevy impala pulled up to the children, and the man inside told them he would give them money if they stopped misbehaving.

Howard said the man allegedly opened the door and told two children to jump in.

"He picked my son up and put him on his lap and told him I'm going to teach you how to drive," said Howard.

She said the man also told her son if he came alone, he'd give him $10.

The kids say the man had tattoos of guns and a tear drop on his face.

"I just don't understand what would make this random guy … pull up and just start giving these kids a bunch of dollars and want them to come by their self," Howard said.

She isn’t the only parent concerned.

"If they don't belong here around these kids, then they need to go," said Nicole Cartigla, a parent.

Police said older children yelled for the kids to get out of the car.

Howard said they’ve never seen the man before, and nothing like this has ever happened.

But she said she's always warned her children to stay away from strangers. and now she’s sending this message to her son and other parents to tell their kids.

"If somebody else try to give you money you don't have to go get into a car or talk to them because you don't know them, they'll take you away and never bring you back," said Howard.

The mother said the suspect told the kids he'll be back today and would give them $100 if he came with him alone.

Howard said her children can no longer go outside if she's not at home.