Irmo police investigating 2 possible child abduction attempts

Irmo police are investigating two possible child abduction attempts within the past week.

The first incident happened Sept. 27 on Friarsgate Boulevard, according to Irmo police Chief Don Perry. A boy whom Perry described as between 10 and 12 years old told officers a woman driving a red car approached him around 6:30 p.m. as he was walking home and asked if she could give him a ride.

The boy said no and went home and told his parents, Perry said. The woman was wearing white scrubs with teddy bears on them.

The second incident happened around 2:40 p.m. Tuesday, Perry said. An 11-year-old boy was walking home from CrossRoads Intermediate School when he was approached in the parking lot by a white woman driving a red car. That woman also was wearing white scrubs, Perry said, but these had flowers on them.

“He was asked by her, ‘Can I give you a ride home? Let me give you a ride home,’” Perry said. “It kind of combines both of them together with the red car, white female and white scrubs.”

The boy from the first incident recognized an “H” symbol on the car that Perry said appears to be the Hyundai logo.

Irmo police have increased patrols in the area and are working with the sheriff’s departments from Richland and Lexington counties, Perry said.

The chief wants to reassure residents that there is no reason to be alarmed. He commended the boys for saying no and for telling their parents what happened.

“When something like this happens, it hits social media, it gets out really fast,” he said. “But we don’t want to scare people into not living their lives and not letting their kids be kids.”

Anyone with information about either incident is asked to call the Irmo Police Department at 803-781-8088, or Crimestoppers at 888-CRIME-SC.

This story was originally published October 4, 2017 at 5:53 PM.