Police: Suspect tried to lure girl to van in Norwood Park

A male tried to lure a girl to his minivan Thursday afternoon in the Norwood Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side, police are warning.

The girl was walking home from school about 4 p.m. in the 6700 block of West Hurlbut Street when the gray minivan pulled up alongside and, with the passenger side window rolled down, the driver asked, “Do you want a ride?” according to a community alert from Chicago Police.

The girl kept walking, but the suspect then said, “Hey, want to get in my car? We can hang out,” police said. The girl again kept walking, but the van stopped at the stop sign, waited for the girl and the driver said, “Do you have Snapchat? Maybe we can exchange snaps.”

The girl then ran away and notified her mother, who called 911, police said.

The suspect is described as a Hispanic male between 17 and 18 years old, with dark eyes and curly black hair on top with shaved sides, police said. He had an earring in his left ear and was wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt. The van had a red football helmet sticker on the back window.

Anyone with information on the attempted child luring is asked to contact Area North detectives at (312) 744-8200.