A bald driver of a black Cadillac SUV gestured for a 15-year-old girl to enter before the SUV circled the block five times, according to Chicago police. The attempted child luring happened around 4:20 p.m. on September 10 in the 6400 block of West Irving Park Road. Detectives are investigating, and police are asking the public for help identifying him.
According to a community alert issued by the Chicago Police Department under reference number RD #JK40795, the girl was waiting at the bus stop when the SUV pulled up beside her. The driver was described as a white man between 20 and 30 years old with blue eyes, a bald head, forearm tattoos, and a button-down shirt, per the same alert. As reported by FOX 32 Chicago, the SUV eventually left in an unknown direction after the attempted luring, and the case has been assigned to detectives in the 16th District, which covers both Portage Park and Jefferson Park.
Investigators want anyone who may recognize the driver to note distinctive characteristics such as scars, acne, dental features or tattoos, the department said. Police are asking anyone with information to contact Area Five detectives at 312-746-6554 or submit anonymous tips through CPDTIP.com.
Officers Urge Vigilance at Bus Stops and Transit Corridors
Officers are reminding residents, parents and young people to stay alert to their surroundings, particularly when entering or leaving locations along busy corridors like West Irving Park Road. Officers also recommended that anyone approached by a suspicious person yell or signal to nearby bystanders for help. The attempted luring unfolded in broad daylight at a bus stop.
Portage Park itself is a Northwest Side community area of more than 61,000 residents, per Wikipedia. The 16th District headquarters that oversees the investigation sits at 5151 North Milwaukee Avenue, and the case has been handed to Area Five detectives.
Part of a Pattern of Summer Alerts in the Area
Tuesday's alert is not an isolated incident for the area. On June 30, CPD issued a separate community alert, RD #JK314535, after a man walking a dog approached a 13-year-old girl in an attempted kidnapping and child luring in Portage Park. And on July 10, a 13-year-old girl sitting on her front porch in the 6200 block of North Naper Avenue in nearby Jefferson Park was approached by a delivery driver who urged her to follow him, prompting Area Five detectives to issue another public warning, according to CBS News Chicago.
The Northwest Side has seen luring attempts intervened before. Back in May 2019, an off-duty Chicago police detective intervened and held 53-year-old George Condon for patrol officers after he allegedly tried to lure two young girls near the Disney II Magnet Elementary School, according to CWB Chicago. Hoodline has also previously reported on smash-and-grab vehicle break-ins near an LA Fitness on West Addison Street in Chicago in 2026, but its provided report did not report knife-point robberies along Irving Park Road.
What Charges Could Look Like If a Suspect Is Identified
Any potential charges and sentence remain undetermined, and the allegations described in the police alert remain under active investigation by the department.
