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Boys: Man Acted Like An Officer

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By LISA A. DAVIS

ldavis@tampatrib.com

Published: December 17, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - A man approached two elementary school-age boys near their bus stop Friday afternoon claiming to be a police officer, according to a Pasco sheriff's office report.

Authorities know of no officers in the area at the time.

When the boys, 6 and 8, arrived at Richey Elementary School they reported the incident to school officials.

The man was dressed in a gray hoodie and ripped red sweat pants over blue jeans, according to a sheriff's office report.
One of the boys encountered the man halfway to his bus stop at Van Doren Avenue and Gulf Drive about 8:45 a.m. According to one of the boys, the man told him he was a police officer and showed one of the boys some sort of identification.

The boy described the man as having a "crooked, twisted face" with a slight beard covering dirt. He spoke in a "froggy voice."

The man asked the boys a series of questions: "What is going on in this area? Where do you live? What school do you go to? How old are you?"

Nobody was injured, and the man didn't threaten to abduct the boys, according to the report.

The sheriff's office is still investigating the incident.

"There was no law broken, but it was unusual," sheriff's office spokesman Kevin Doll said. "Parents and guardians, remind kids not to talk to strangers."

Children should also be taught that if they are approached by a stranger to tell a trusted adult, he said.

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