Hollister police have announced that the search for a man
accused of trying to lure a 13-year-old boy near a school was a
misunderstanding, as the person was a coach offering a ride home,
according to a statement.
Hollister police have announced that the search for a man accused of trying to lure a 13-year-old boy near a school was a misunderstanding, as the person was a coach offering a ride home, according to a statement.
The Hollister Police Department this week previously noted how it was searching for a male adult with a full beard after an accusation he tried to lure a 13-year-old boy into his vehicle Tuesday evening. Around 7:30 p.m., the boy was waiting on the northeast corner of Rancho San Justo School field for his mother when a Hispanic man in a black 1970 Chevrolet pickup truck pulled up next to him, police said in an earlier statement.
The man pulled up to the boy, who had finished football practice, and asked if the boy wanted to call his mother, according to police. The juvenile responded by saying “no.” After the man asked if the boy wanted a ride home. The boy again responded by saying “no.”
The police department in a follow-up press release noted:
“After additional investigation it was determined that the person in question was the coach of another Pop Warner football team, someone whom the boy did not recognize, and not one of the boy’s coaches as reported in a previous press release. The man was only offering a ride home from practice and it does not now appear to be suspicious.”
The Hollister Police Department noted how it still reminds parents and children to be extra vigilant. Whenever they are out, children should walk in groups and use only safe, direct routes to and from their destinations. Parents should discuss with their children proper responses when confronted by a person not known to them, according to police.
