Police are searching for a woman on a bicycle who allegedly tried to lure a 10-year-old boy toward a van in Astoria on Monday afternoon, then kept following him after he refused to go. The incident, which officers are treating as an attempted luring, happened around 5:15 p.m. near Crescent Street and 33rd Avenue. The boy did not get into the vehicle and managed to get away without injury, according to police.
Police say the woman followed the boy
Investigators say the woman rode up to the 10-year-old on a bicycle at Crescent Street and 33rd Avenue around 5:15 p.m. Monday and tried to steer him toward a van. When he refused, she allegedly followed him before he escaped unharmed. The suspect is described as having a medium build and a medium complexion and was last seen wearing a burgundy T-shirt, black pants and black sneakers, according to ABC7 New York.
Parents on edge after similar reports
The alert lands in a tense moment for families across Queens, where recent run-ins between adults and children have already put parents on high alert. Earlier this month, police in Flushing were looking for a woman accused of shoving a 7-year-old boy to the ground, according to 1010 WINS.
How to report tips
Anyone with information about the Astoria case is asked to contact NYPD Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), or to submit a tip online through the NYPD Crime Stoppers site. Tips that lead to an arrest may be eligible for a reward through the Crime Stoppers program, and if a child appears to be in immediate danger, callers are urged to dial 911.
The NYPD has not released the woman’s name or any photos in connection with the investigation and has not said whether the van was ever located. Detectives are still asking anyone who may have seen something to contact Crime Stoppers, according to ABC7 New York.
