Kissimmee police are looking for a man who tried to lure a 7-year-old girl into his car Thursday morning close to school grounds.

  • Police search for suspect accused of following 7-year-old
  • Child told police the suspect tried getting her into a vehicle
  • Suspect never left vehicle; child ran away

Police say the child was walking westbound on Mabbette Street around 7:40 a.m to Thacker Avenue Elementary, when she told police she was approached my an unknown man in a vehicle.

She told police the man said “come into my car,” and she responded “no, thank you.”

The man reportedly continued to follow her as she continued walking to school, and then she ran away from the area, according to a news release.

“There’s concern that somebody approached a child. He did not get out of the car,” said Stacie Miller a spokesperson with the Kissimmee Police Department. “He did not try to grab her. So we want to find out who this person is before he decides to take the next step.”

The 7-year-old girl always walks with her older sister, but they had parted ways. According to police, the child was untouched; however, she was shaken up.

“The scare that she got she is going to remember,” said Allen Perry, a Kissimmee resident. “So I hope she gets help on her situation and how she feels about it.”   

For those who live in the area, it’s not something they’re taking lightly.

“Well, I hope that he gets caught 'cause obviously he’s very sick," Perry explained. "I hope the authorities catch him, and they bring him to justice and find out what he’s thinking."

Perry has been living in the area for 10 years, and he said he’s never heard of an incident like this one before. Perry said he’s glad this kid did not get in the car.

“If he doesn’t get caught he’s gonna try it again,” he added.

The suspect is described as a white or light-skinned Hispanic male with a white four-door vehicle with tinted windows. He’s in his late 20s to early 30s and also a beard with brown hair.

Anyone with information on the suspect or the vehicle he drove is encouraged to contact the Kissimmee Police Department at 407-846-3333 or Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477).