Driver Who Offered Girl Ride Home in Newington Not a Threat: Police

Police have determined there is no threat to public safety after a man approached a 12-year-old girl in front of an elementary school in Newington Thursday afternoon and offered her a ride home. 

Police informed the public that they were searching for a driver after a man in his 50s pulled up to the girl on Halleran Drive, in front of Patterson Elementary School, at 1:22 p.m. and offered her a ride home. 

The girl did not recognize the man and ignored him, police said, but he followed behind her slowly and asked her several times to get in the car. 

The girl then approached her father, who was waiting to pick her up from school, and left the area. 

The man approached the girl in what looked like an older model silver Volkswagen Passat. He appeared to be around 50 and has a beard and brown hair, police said. 

The school surveillance video captured an image of the vehicle and police have released it. 

Friday afternoon Newington police said that they interviewed the driver of the car and determined that there is no threat to the public. More details were not immediately available.

The scare follows three incidents in Hartford of possible attempted abductions. 

Hartford police said they were investigating two attempted abductions during bus drop-offs at Kennelly School.

In those incidents, police said a man driving a gray four-door sedan, possibly an Acura TL, with tinted windows followed young girls between the ages of 10 and 13 before attempting to lure them into his vehicle.

On Thursday, the superintendent in Hartford warned of another incident near Parkville School. Police said they have not confirmed the third incident.  

Contact Us