10-year-old West Seattle girl says man tried to lure her into car

SEATTLE -- For people who live in West Seattle the latest incident is almost overwhelming.

A 10-year-old girl said a man tried to lure her into his car as she walked alone to her mother's car Tuesday afternoon.

"She heard a man say; hey I can give you a ride home, she yelled no and ran to where her mom's car was parked," Seattle police department spokesman Mark Jamieson said.

The girl wasn't harmed or even touched.

She managed to get away and tell her mom, who called police.

"It's very upsetting.  It's very disturbing. I don't understand why it even occurs, how it even happens, what's going through their heads,” neighbor Kristen Humphries said.

And it's not the first time.

In the past few weeks in a two and a half mile radius men have targeted young girls four times.

Previous incident happened just one block away at the Holy Rosary School and also at the Westside School.

A man exposed himself to girls on the playground, but police insist the previous incidents do not appear to be related to Tuesday’s incident.

"Tuesday's incident was vastly different than the previous incident.  We didn't have any lewd conduct or anything like that,” Jamieson said.

But it is just one more incident, one more reason parents are feeling uneasy, one more reason police are urging parents to talk to their children about the potential danger they may face at a place they should feel safe.

"I've talked to her and she's aware of what's going on and pretty much knows what to do.  I just make sure I pull up and there's always someone here to watch her walk in or i watch her walk in and if I'm ever late she waits in the school until I get here,” Hope Lutheran parent Ericka Cook said.

Unfortunately the girl was unable to get a description of the suspect, or the car he was driving, but police say she did everything right in order to save herself.

"I want to commend this student for doing absolutely everything right thing.  She recognized the danger, got herself out and reported it to an adult,” Jamieson said.

Police also checked to see if there was any surveillance video captured by the school.  There was not, so again they want to talk to anyone who may have seen something suspicious Tuesday afternoon between 3:30 and 4 o’clock near the corner of 42nd Ave. SW and SW Oregon St.

If so police would like or you to call 911.