Cedar Park Area Has Third "Child Enticement" Report

KXAN reports that three reports have been made regarding attempted enticement of a child in the Cedar Park area. The first took place on the 27th in in this block of Cedar Park proper. The suspect, described as a brunette white man (or "possibly hispanic"?) in his mid-thirties, has a "thin beard," a mustache, and was reportedly driving a blue pickup and stopped a child to ask if he wanted any candy.

The second incident (which took place in this area) was a little more straightforward, with the suspect abstaining from the promise of treats in lieu of just saying, "Hey kid, get in the car." The kid, thankfully, did not.

Reported this Thursday was yet another event that took place on the 31st, where a child on a bike was also approached by a man in a pickup, though the child was being trailed by his jogger mom. When the suspect saw mom coming, he drove away. No report yet as to whether or not this pickup was blue.

KXAN tows the old line about how things are just getting so much worse these days, with David Scott reporting on camera that "the parents in these communities may feel like they're not [in?] the kind of place where their kids should feel threatened, but maybe there is no place perfectly safe anymore in this world," etc.. More accurately, the world has never been safe for children. Instead of reporting on possible abductions with a sigh about "what once was," it's worth considering that before, crimes often just went unreported or unsolved, and that what feels like an uptick in incidents has less to do with a rise in incidents and instead with a rise in community response and involvement.

The takeaway from what we know so far is two-fold: excellent work Cedar Park parents, on either keeping your kids in public supervision and, when that's not possible, instructing them on the dos and don'ts of interacting with strangers. The second takeaway is that parents in the area - or in Austin proper - should be vigilant and keep aware. Report any information you may have to Detective Christopher Dailey [512-260-4772]. Cedar Park's official social media outlets have nothing to report outside of where to recycle your Christmas tree.

[Update: Fox Austin is reporting that the Cedar Park police have released a sketch of the suspect.]