Police: Man asks boys to climb school fence, come to his truck

LCPD: Man sought after driving to Epiphany Catholic School, talking to kids

LAKE CITY, Fla. – A search is underway for a man who drove up to a school and asked two boys to climb the fence and come to his truck, the Lake City Police Department announced Thursday.

Police said they were called to Epiphany Catholic School on Wednesday after teachers reported that a man in a blue pickup truck drove up to a fence near the playground on Bascom Norris Road. 

When teachers saw that the driver appeared to be talking to children on the playground through the fence, they began walking toward the children and the truck sped off.

The boys -- ages 5 and 7 -- who were near the fence told teachers and police that the driver had asked them to climb the fence and come into his truck. 

According to police, one child described the man as an "older teenager" and the other as an adult or middle-aged man. Both children said the white male had a goatee beard with a bushy mustache and was not wearing glasses, police said.

News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith said officers are likely busy right now tracking down leads.

"I'm sure they'll try to get a composite drawing and get as much information on him as they could as far as a description goes, the year, make and model of the truck and try to contact anyone who is driving that particular model of car," Smith said. "They'll just search the area as much as possible and try to contact the car. I'm sure they'll also check around the school the next few days and check other elementary schools in the area also to see if a car in that area matches that description."

Anyone with information is asked to email the Police Department at tips@lcflapd.com. To remain anonymous, call 386-719-2068.


About the Authors:

Scott is a multi-Emmy Award Winning Anchor and Reporter, who also hosts the “Going Ringside With The Local Station” Podcast. Scott has been a journalist for 25 years, covering stories including six presidential elections, multiple space shuttle launches and dozens of high-profile murder trials.