A Sheafe Road Elementary student was approached by a stranger while getting off a school bus near the Montclair Townhouses on Route 9D in Wappingers Falls, and New York State Police believe the person may have been trying to lure the child away with money. The student refused to go along with the stranger's demands and made it home safely, according to the school district.
The encounter happened around 4 p.m. on Monday, September 28, 2026, as reported by 97.7/97.3 The Wolf. New York State Troopers are now investigating the report, and according to Hudson Valley Post, the individual is alleged to have been driving a gray SUV. Police and the Wappingers Central School District believe the person was attempting to lure the child using money, though the exact circumstances of what was said during the encounter have not been detailed publicly.
District Turns Over Bus Camera Footage
The Wappingers Central School District says it is working closely with troopers on the investigation, including sharing video captured by cameras mounted on the outside of its buses. The district has also shared a description of the suspicious vehicle with investigators as the search for answers continues.
Superintendent Dr. Dwight Bonk said the district was doing all it could to assist, per the same account from Hudson Valley Post, and he thanked New York State Troopers for their work on the ongoing investigation. The district said it would send another communication to families if it receives additional information.
Not the First Warning Near This Bus Stop
This isn't the first time the district has warned families about a stranger near a Sheafe Road Elementary bus stop. Back in 2018, the district sent an alert after two students reported a man in a dark gray Subaru Outback parked near Route 9 who asked if they needed a ride to school, according to the Poughkeepsie Journal. In that case, the students reported the encounter to their principal, who then contacted Town of Poughkeepsie police.
Similar reports have surfaced elsewhere in recent memory. In Jacksonville, Florida, a student at an Oceanway Middle School bus stop told officials she was approached by a man in a green pickup truck who asked if she wanted a ride, though he did not threaten her or try to force her into the vehicle, per Action News Jax. A separate Jacksonville-area case described an 80-year-old man telling a Lonestar Elementary student to get into his van for a ride; that man was detained, and the investigation remained ongoing when reported.
Bus Cameras Part of District's Safety Toolkit
The exterior bus cameras now aiding the Wappingers investigation are part of a broader camera program used by the district. According to Highlands Current, the district's buses use cameras operated by BusPatrol, and officials have said drivers noticed improved compliance with state traffic laws once the program was adopted. That same reporting notes the footage can also provide evidence when buses are involved in accidents or other incidents.
For now, the child at the center of the Wappingers Falls report is safe at home, and the investigation into who approached the student — and why — remains active with state troopers.
