CVUSD warns parents about possible child abductor

The Coachella Valley Unified School District is warning parents about a suspicious man in a gray van who may be attempting to abduct school children in the area.

According to Security and Transportation Director Glenn Perry, the incident happened Monday around 6 p.m. and involved a student at John Kelley Elementary School in Thermal.

“A student was walking home with his parents and he was a little bit ahead of his parents. There was a gray van with a Spanish-speaking individual in it who stopped and tried to get the student in the van. The student ran away, the parents contacted police and reported it,” said Perry.

The make, model and license plate number of the gray van are unknown at this time.

The school district is working with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the Coachella Police Department, School Resource Officers and its 24-hour security staff and campus security teams to apprehend the suspect, CVUSD Superintendent Darryl Adams said in a statement Thursday.

The school district is asking everyone to remain alert and report any suspicious activity to administration, local law enforcement or by calling 911.

Adams said the safety of students and staff are of paramount importance and the district will expend whatever resources necessary to protect those that it serves.

Schools are definitely putting out the word to parents and now it’s important for the community to keep an eye out and report any suspicious activity.

News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2 will continue to follow this story closely and bring you updates on any future developments.