UPDATE: FMPD says attempted luring of student was case of mistaken identity

UPDATE:
Fort Myers Police say they responded to a possible attempted child abduction located near Forum Blvd and Cypress Legends Circle. It was reported that while a child was walking home from the bus stop, they were approached by a black van whose occupants attempted to lure the child into the vehicle.

FMPD say detectives immediately began a thorough investigation and discovered through video, interviews, and community outreach that it was a case of mistaken identity. The black van was occupied by parents waiting to pick up their child who had similar features as the victim and they were trying to get their child’s attention to pick him up from the bus stop. The parents were thoroughly interviewed and ultimately ruled out as suspects.

Police say as of now, there is no known immediate danger to the public, but to remember to always be cognizant of your surroundings and do not hesitate to report the situation to local law enforcement.

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It’s a parent’s worst nightmare - Fort Myers Police say a black van took off after trying to lure a middle school student from his bus stop on Dynasty Drive. Now, police say they’re searching for the van.

Around 6 p.m. Thursday, police say the van followed the boy from his bus stop near Dynasty Drive and Cypress Legends Circle. Then, police say someone inside the van yelled in Spanish at the boy to “get in the van!”.
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“It breaks my heart that people are doing this in our community,” said May Campbell, a parent that lives on Dynasty Drive.

Campbell said she picks up her son Mauricio at the bus stop every day, and was considering letting him walk home by himself soon until she heard about the van.

“He won’t be walking alone any time soon. We have a lot of kids, especially elementary school age children that sometimes walk alone from the bus stop - that’s uncomfortable,” said Campbell.

Austin Schargorodski

Police say two women and a man were inside the van, and they got reports it was circling the area for two days before this happened.

Thankfully, police say the boy ran to an apartment complex for help, and a neighbor called his mom who called police. Now, police say they’re increasing patrols and asking for tips to help track down the van.

“It’s a nice sense to have more police presence around the area now especially with this going on - hopefully it gets them off the street faster,” said Campbell.

Police say the van is black with blue at the bottom of the doors, and it’s damaged on the front bumper and rear sliding doors. If you have information that could help find it, police ask you to call them or CrimeStoppers.