Police hunt man in white van after attempted child abduction in Melbourne
- Victoria Police are seeking a male driver connected to an attempted child abduction incident involving an 11-year-old boy in Melbourne.
- The boy reported a man in a white van trying to lure him with a False claim regarding his mother.
- Community awareness and vigilance are crucial as a series of similar incidents have raised alarm in local areas.
In Melbourne, Australia, Victoria Police are investigating a series of concerning incidents involving attempted child abductions that occurred in late November 2024. The first incident involved an 11-year-old boy who was approached by a man in a white van while walking home from school in Blackburn on November 18. The male driver claimed that the boy's mother had asked him to give him a lift, but the child refused and reported the encounter to his mother, resulting in a police report. The boy later expressed distress, indicating that he had locked all the doors in their home when he arrived. This incident has raised serious concerns among parents in the community regarding child safety and stranger danger. Nine days after the first incident, on November 27, a 14-year-old girl was approached in a similar manner in Tullamarine. As she walked along Spring Street, a man in a white van pulled up beside her and asked where she lived, ultimately demanding she get into his vehicle. The teenager wisely fled to a nearby park filled with families, at which point the man drove away, effectively securing her safety. In addition, earlier on November 26, a boy commuting to Boronia Heights Primary School encountered a similar situation when a man in a white van attempted to engage him as well. Just the day before, a 15-year-old girl on Saxon Street in Doncaster came across another man in a white van who tried to stop her. These repeated offenses have led police to believe that the incidents are isolated cases rather than linked events. Victoria Police have taken significant steps to address these incidents, including distributing a computer-generated image of the suspect connected to the attempted abduction of the 11-year-old boy. The man is described as being aged between 30 and 40 years old, with dirty, matted blonde hair, and possessing a rough-sounding voice. The public has been urged to provide any relevant information to assist in the investigation, highlighting the importance of community vigilance and active reporting of suspicious behavior to help ensure children's safety.