A Burnaby independent school is ramping up supervision while police investigate an attempted child luring outside the school.
St. Helen’s Elementary School sent a notice to parents Friday afternoon after an eight-year-old student at the school was allegedly approached by an older man who offered her candy and tried to grab her hand.
The girl refused and ran back to her parents, who were around a corner at the school playground, not more than 50 metres away, according to St. Helen’s principal Waldemar Sambor.
He said the girl didn’t tell her parents about the encounter, which happened at about 3:25 p.m., until the drive home.
“In cases like that, sometimes kids feel that maybe it’s their fault for whatever reason, because they ran away from the parents,” Sambor said.
The girl’s parents notified the school and called 911.
Other parents at the school have since volunteered to provide extra supervision around the school, according to Sambor.
“It’s a pretty stressful time for them,” he said. “We gave them a short little course and we put them on the playground.”
To allay the fears of students who have heard news reports about the incident, Sambor said Burnaby RCMP will visit the school this week to provide kids with safety tips.
Police have said they are making good progress on the case, according to Sambor, but haven’t provided details.
“They say they’re moving forward very fast, so my hope is that they’re going to be able to close that case, so that will provide peace for, not only St. Helen’s but for the Burnaby community,” Sambor said.
The suspect in the case is described as a 70-year-old man, with a slim build, a long grey and white beard and ripped, brown clothing.
No other incidents have been reported, but Burnaby RCMP are urging parents to be aware.
"This is a good opportunity for parents to talk to kids about being safe," spokesperson Cpl. Daniela Panesar stated in a press release Monday morning.
Anyone who witnessed this incident or the suspect is asked to call the Burnaby RCMP Investigative Support Team at 604-294-7922 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
