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By Lookout Staff

September 9 – With the school year under way, police are advising parents and their children to be on the lookout for suspects who prey on young students.

The threat was driven home last month when three girls, on two separate occasions, reported being approached by a man in a white vehicle as they were walking on the sidewalk and offered money for sex.

The first incident took place at 1 p.m. on Friday August 1, when a suspect approached a 13-year-old Hispanic girl on the 1500 block of 26th Street, according to a bulletin posted on the Police Department web site.

The victim described the suspect’s vehicle as a newer model white pick-up truck with a white camper shell. She remembers that the license plate ended with 02.

The second incident took place at 4:40 p.m. on Wednesday August 20 when a suspect approached 12 and 13-year-old girls on the 1300 block of 26th Street.

A victim from the second incident described the suspect’s vehicle as a newer model white four-door sports utility vehicle.

The suspect is described as a male Hispanic between 30 and 40 years of age with a medium build. He has short, spiked black hair.

“With the school year starting, we’d like for parents to educate their children to be on the lookout for this type of activity,” said Sgt. Renaldi Thurston, the Police Department spokesman.

For more information, contact the Office of Criminal Investigations at 310.458.8451 or the Watch Commander at 310.458.8427 (24 hours).

Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may call the WeTip hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463).