OVIEDO, Fla. – Oviedo Police Department officials on Friday posted a news release hoping to clarify "misguided information" that had been spread online concerning an incident involving a child and a suspicious white van.
Authorities said they issued the update because they'd seen numerous Facebook posts and comments about the incident.
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The original incident was reported Tuesday evening when a juvenile reported walking Kingsbridge East subdivision when a white van pulled up and someone inside offered the child candy, police said. The child ran away and reported the incident.
Police said there was never any attempt to grab the child.
Officers responded to the area after the incident was reported but the van was not located.
The next morning, another child told a crossing guard that a white van stopped and someone inside offered candy. Police said they, once again, responded to the area but were unable to locate the van.
While the report is still being investigated, police said it's possible that the child heard about the first incident and was repeating it.
"Having a child abducted is one of the biggest fears as a parent, as a society, and as a police department. The police department receives many calls of suspicious vehicles, and we thoroughly investigate every one of them," police said in a news release.
Officials asked parents and other residents to teach children about what to do if they are approached by a stranger, to report suspicious activity and to think critically before posting to social media.
"It is easy for hot topic issues to get sidetracked and distorted. We will do our best to keep the public informed; however, it is important that the release of the information does not jeopardize the progress of the investigation," police said.
Anyone with information about the reported incidents is asked to call the Oviedo Police Department at 407-971-5700.