Alert issued for stranger danger in Widefield

Widefield residents, having dealt with three “stranger danger” incidents last fall, are facing a new case that happened last weekend near the community center.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said a child was threatened by a man around 8 a.m. last Saturday near the intersection of Aspen Drive and Hackaberry Drive. The girl’s age wasn’t released.

The sheriff’s office provided the following details:

The man got out of his truck and asked the girl if she had seen his dog. When she said she hadn’t, he asked her to get into his truck to help find the dog. She refused and walked away, but the man reentered his truck and began following the girl. She ran to the nearby high school football field, and the man fled.

The man is described as white, between 60 and 65 years old, fairly tall, with an average build and clean-shaven. He was wearing jeans, white sneakers, a blue baseball cap with yellow lettering, and a polo shirt of unknown color.

The man is believed to have driven a newer, burgundy-colored Chevy or Dodge extended cab pickup truck loaded with a stack of white chairs secured by a chain.

You’re asked to call 719-390-5555 if you have any information about the incident.

Authorities did not say why the alert wasn’t made until now. Often in such cases, however, a child who is approached may not tell an adult until days after the incident. Getting a detailed description from children can be time-consuming and difficult, as well.

Authorities advise that children walk in pairs or groups, never alone, and that they report suspicious behavior to a trusted adult immediately.