Darien police investigate drivers talking to children in town

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Darien police are investigating four separate incidents in recent weeks involving drivers who have approached and tried to talk with kids in town. In each case, police said the kids were walking to or from school or playing outside their home. “At this time, there's no evidence to indicate that these incidents are linked,” stated Sgt. Mauricio Vigil, adding that all persons of interest have been identified and cleared, and police have no reason to believe there is a threat to the public. The first incident happened on Aug. 25 in the neighborhood where mom Kira Mikulecky lives. “I have a 3-year-old and a 6-year-old boy, and you know, now I'm worried about letting them outside to play or walk to school,” Mikulecky told News 12. “Some of the moms in the neighborhood, we have a shared chat, and I got notifications of them hearing about this incident happening.” Police said a child saw a gray/silver or tan SUV on Heather Lane around 3:25 p.m., which then approached him on nearby Briar Brae Road. The driver, described as an older man with gray hair, asked the child if he knew someone and about a possible dropped item, believed to be a bicycle light, before leaving the area. “We actually even got a video from someone's Ring camera of the car following their son riding on the bike, and it was really scary,” Mikulecky recalled. Police said they met with the child and his mother to identify possible DMV photo matches, but all identified persons and vehicles of interest were ruled out. Police also said they enhanced video images from the area, but no new leads emerged. The next incident happened on Sept. 10 around 2:53 p.m. on Mansfield Avenue as three students were walking from Royle School. Police said a man in a silver or gray SUV approached them and made a comment that made them uncomfortable. The man also claimed to be looking for his grandson, and was seen driving in both directions on Mansfield, according to police. The students described him as in his 60s with blondish-gray, slicked-back hair and a stubble beard. Police said the third incident occurred on Sept. 13 while two students were walking on Middlesex Avenue near Holmes School between 8:24 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. An older woman driving a small Nissan stopped and offered them a ride, which they declined, according to police. The final report came Sept. 15 from three kids on Pleasant Street, who said a delivery driver in a silver SUV brought food to a nearby home, then slowed down and possibly took a picture of them outside. “We want to make sure that the community knows that the police department is and has been investigating all these cases thoroughly. But we also want to encourage the community to be aware of their surroundings and talk to their children, encourage them to be safe, not to talk to strangers,” Vigil said, adding that any suspicious activity should be reported to police. Police also ask that people rely on the department for official updates and not to share unverified information and rumors, which can add to unnecessary alarm. "