Police: Man tried to lure East Meadow teen into SUV

Police say the driver of the car told the girl a relative had sent him to come pick her up. But she still refused to get in.

News 12 Staff

Mar 7, 2020, 3:24 AM

Updated 1,674 days ago

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Nassau police have released a sketch of a man who they say tried to lure a 15-year-old girl into his SUV near East Meadow High School Thursday morning.
Police say the teen was at her school bus stop on Carman Avenue near Nottingham Road when the man in his 50s pulled up and asked her to get in at around 6:45 a.m.
Police say the driver of the car told the girl a relative had sent him to come pick her up. But she still refused to get in. At that point, police say that the driver took off heading north on Carman Avenue.
"The girl at that time, did exactly what she was supposed to do. She went to an area that was more populated, she walked in the opposite direction," says Nassau Police Detective Mike Bitsko.
Bitsko says police right away started asking people in the area if they saw the incident. They checked for home security cameras and came up with the sketch of the man with gray hair, a gray beard and a mustache.
"Anytime that something like that might happen, what we want people to do is to scream, make a commotion," Bitsko says.
High school students are concerned such an incident occurred nearby.
"We walk past here every single day, like literally, every single day. Going to school, coming back, going to get food. And to think that something like this could happen in our neighborhood, is scary to be honest," says ninth grader Tehillah Scatliffe.
Students say staff told them about the incident and encouraged them to walk in groups.
"Told us no one goes out for lunch unless you're with someone," says ninth grader Roger Thacker.
Police say the man was driving a gray SUV.
Anyone with information is asked to call Nassau Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS.