Parents concerned after police say man tried to kidnap boy

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Parents at a Charlotte middle school were on high alert Wednesday.

According to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police, a student at Kennedy Middle School was waiting for his mom to pick him up Tuesday afternoon when a man drove up and tried to lure him into the car. A police report states the man asked the boy to get into the car and cool off. Police said the boy refused and ran into the office telling two different teachers.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools confirmed the incident to Eyewitness News. They said the boy is a sixth-grader at the school.

"It's just scary knowing that someone could just come up and say they get into my car," said parent Tabitha Alliston.

The school's principal sent out a note to parents Tuesday night asking them to remind kids about "stranger's danger."

The note said, "After school we identified a suspicious vehicle that was on campus. As a precautionary measure I am asking parents to please take a few minutes tonight to discuss stranger safety precautions and appropriate actions with your child. Our No. 1 priority at Kennedy MS continues to be to provide a safe and orderly learning environment each and every day for all students. Thank you for partnering with us to educate our children on this important safety topic."

Police said Tuesday they had increased patrols around the middle school and several other schools in the area. They said they had a suspect description, but police have not released it.

WSOC