NEW KENT COUNTY, Va. -- Deputies are investigating after a stranger driving a white van approached an 11-year-old girl and asked her to get into his vehicle the Brickshire neighborhood in New Kent County Thursday.
The girl ignored the man and rode her bike to the nearby golf course where she reported what happened to adults, New Kent County Sheriff's Office officials said in a Facebook post Satuday.
"We don't know anything about him or his intentions," the girl's mother wrote on Facebook. "The only thing I can be confident in is that my daughter used her best judgement at that moment to take off across the neighborhood golf course, where he couldn't follow, if he chose to do so."
The woman shared her family's experience to raise awareness that “things like this can happen anywhere, in any neighborhood, store, city, etc."
Deputies described the suspect as only a man with a dark complexion. The vehicle was described as a white work van with a ladder rack and no compartment windows.
"It is very important that parents/guardians remind your children of the proper precautions to take when dealing with a stranger and the importance of immediately reporting the encounter to a trusted adult," New Kent County Sheriff's Office officials urged.
"We are thankful she made it home and thankful she was unharmed," her mother wrote. "She is perfectly fine."
Officials said their investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Deputies asked anyone in the Brickshire neighborhood who spotted anything suspicious or has any information on this incident, contact New Kent County Sheriff’s Office at 804-966-9500 or Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000. You can also use the Crime Stoppers P3 iTip app on your smartphone or tablet to submit a tip.
