SUGAR LAND – A Sugar Land community is hoping police can find the man who tried luring a young girl into his car. The incident was caught on camera and the police need your help identifying the driver of the black chevy traverse seen in the surveillance video.
“Not surprised at all. It’s terrifying as a parent, but it’s not surprising,” Pam Sigurdson said.
It happened on Bournewood Drive near Ashwood.
KPRC2′S Re’Chelle Turner spoke to the young girl’s mother.
Jenny Miertschin says her 14-year-old daughter is doing much better. She’s a freshman at Fort Bend ISD. She says her daughter always walks home and the incident frightened her.
“Incredibly scary. She came home and was super shaky and didn’t want to talk about it at first. And then, for a little bit, gave her a minute to compose herself, and then she came and told me what happened,” she said.
The Sugar Land Police Department said the incident happened on Sept. 3 on Bournewood Dr. near Ashwood at 3:20 p.m.
Police say the girl had just gotten off the school bus when the man, described as in his 20s with dark, curly hair, drove up in a black Chevrolet Traverse and tried to lure the girl into the car.
“Honestly, it was more terrifying after I saw the footage, you know? Like, theoretically it’s scary, but then when you actually see the car and her walking, it was just frightening,” Miertschin said.
Miertschin says her daughter has never seen the guy or the car.
“Never seen it in the neighborhood, and we’ve lived in this neighborhood for 23 years, and she was, of course, born and raised here, and we’re super involved in the community. So, no, she had never seen this car, and she had never seen the suspect,” she said.
How is your daughter doing mentally?
“I think she’s doing good. She’s a freshman in high school, so there’s a lot of activity involved. She’s involved in, she’s a water polo player, she’s a swimmer. So, I mean, the beginning of the year, everyone knows it’s homecoming, and I think she’s got a lot of good friends, and it’s really taken her mind off of it,” Miertschin said.
Throughout the day, Turner spoke to the owner of the Express convenience store, who says the man came into his store. He shared the video with the police.
Turner and photojournalist Michael Lemons drove around the Covington Wood neighborhood showing the video to parents.
“I mean, you hear about stuff like that, but you don’t think that it’s happening in your own neighborhood. Yeah, I see kids walking home from school quite a bit, so... It’s scary,” one parent said.
It’s concerning for many residents who say the community is usually quiet and they’ve never had any crime problems.
“I have grandchildren, and they’re in school. It’s scary. But, like, you never think in this area we would have something so scary now that I see that,” Vicky Guerrero said.
Fort Bend ISD also released a statement:
FBISD Media Statement
The district received a report of a Hispanic male in a black SUV near the intersection of Ashwood Dr. and Bournewood Dr. in Sugar Land who was asking teenage girls to get in his vehicle. The Sugar Land Police Department is investigating the matter. We have asked parents to remind their children to never accept a ride from a stranger and to report any suspicious activity by calling our FBISD Police Department directly at 281-634-5500or by calling 911. We are committed to partnering with our parents and law enforcement to keep our community safe.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Fort Bend Crime Stoppers at (281) 342-TIPS (8477).