By Nick Buglione
According to school officials, the girl was on her way home when she was approached by a Spanish-speaking, heavy-set, dark-haired man driving a gray car with black striping.
"He spoke Spanish and asked the girl to get into the auto," said Leon Campo, East Meadow School District assistant superintendent. The girl ran away from the car, he said.
In response to the incident, the school district sent home a letter to parents urging them to discuss what their children should do if approached by a stranger.
"We would like for parents to talk with their children," Campo said, "about the basic common sense kind of things."
The school district already teaches children about being approached by strangers as part of its curriculum, Campo said. "We're encouraging our own to teachers to revisit that issue," he said.
"We'd like to encourage people that if any incident occurs, to report it to school authorities immediately."
A full day passed before the attempted abduction near Bowling Green was reported to police, Campo said.
Apparently the student didn't tell her teacher what happened until a day later. "We asked her if she told her mother and she said yes," Campo said, though her mother did not call the 3rd Precinct. The school district finally notified the police.
Though these incidents are a fairly rare occurrence in the East Meadow School District, parents should be on guard nevertheless, Campo said. "From time to time we get something like this, but it's rare," he said.
Anyone with information about the near abduction at Bowling Green should call the 3rd Precinct at (516) 573-6300.
