Schools, Parents Alerted to Suspicious Stranger Incident

Millburn School Superintendent Dr. James Crisfield sent a note to parents Wednesday advising them of an incident in which two men in an older model white car approached a student as she walked home from school.

Millburn police sent the information to the school district so that parents and children could be aware, and Crisfield said police will continue to monitor the situation and work closely with the district.

According to the note, the incident occurred at 3 p.m. on Monday when a white male driving the car, which had rust spots on it, pulled up to the student as she walked along Wyoming Avenue. Another white male in the back seat asked the girl if she "knew how old her friend is," talking about a girl walking home in the opposite direction. The student did not answer and ran off, according to the report. The car then left and had no further contact with either student.

The incident was reported to police on Tuesday evening.

“While giving top priority to the need to keep our parents and students well informed, we are also mindful of not alarming anybody unnecessarily,” Crisfield said in his note to parents.

“As with any such report, our school staff will reinforce the safety rules students should follow when dealing with strangers, and we appreciate your help with that same task at home," he said."Please be sure to stress such things as the need to immediately report such incidents to an adult (and also immediately to the police), how to react if they find themselves in such a situation, etc.” 

Anyone who may have witnessed this encounter is asked to call Det. Ed de la Fuente of the Millburn Police Department at (973) 564-7001.