Stranger Approaching Child Reported on Social Media: Police Investigating

Fargo police speak on what to do when a stranger approaches you and how to keep safe

FARGO, ND — Police are investigating a report of a stranger approaching a child in south Fargo.

According to a social media posting on the site ‘Nextdoor’, an 11-year-old boy was approached in the area of 17th Avenue and 20th Street South in Fargo.

The boy said a man asked him to get into his vehicle and after he told him no, the man followed him until he went through a few backyards to make it home.

“When it comes to child safety it’s important that parents are having conversations with their children often. So you’re talking about what do you do when someone is approaching you,” said Officer Jessica Schindeldecker with the Fargo Police Department.

“Just make sure you’re not alone. That would be one of the main things, make sure you’re not alone,” said Lynette Jensen.

Jensen knows a thing or two about the importance of looking after children.

“Because it’s very easy for them to be abducted and then once they’re abducted and the consequences are not good,” said Jensen.

Schindeldecker said it’s important to always be aware of your surroundings whether you’re in broad daylight or during the night.

She said especially nowadays when kids are hooked on their phones.

“There’s so much technology out there and our youth even at a younger age have that technology available to them so it’s important to make sure when it comes to bicycling or personal safety in general they should be aware of their surroundings and they’re watching and is there a vehicle following them,” said Schindeldecker.

Officer Schindeldecker also said if you do feel like you’re being followed, the one place you should not go is back to your home.

“The safest place would obviously be go to the police station; we’ve got our downtown location we’ve got the location on 25th Street and 13th Avenue go somewhere where it’s well lit, if you see a busy gas station go there,” said Schindeldecker.

Out of everything, parents should know how to teach their children to use their common sense when they’re put in a stranger danger kind of situation.

According to the report on ‘Nextdoor’, the man who approached the child was driving a silver pickup with Minnesota plates.