Parents in McKinney are on alert after another possible sighting of a man trying to lure children.
There have been similar reports in Melissa, Anna, Van Alstyne and Tom Bean in recent weeks. Now, police are looking into whether the man may have tried it again in McKinney.
Abby Bloxham said her 8-year-old daughter was at a play date at a home in the 1000 block of Ridgecrest Drive when a man nobody recognized walked into the front yard.
"He had a dog on a leash and he said that he had found the dog and he was trying to find the owners and that he would hope that he would help them," Bloxham said.
Bloxham described the man as an older, white man with a white beard.
Aware of recent reports of a man with a similar description trying to lure children in Collin County, the parents brought the kids inside and called police.
"It kind of makes you feel like your kids can't even play outside anymore," Bloxham said.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
McKinney police say they are sharing information internally and with other departments to determine if the cases are connected to those in other cities.
Police in Van Alstyne said they've received dozens of tips since a suspicious person report was made – tips they say have not panned out.
According to the department's Facebook page, on Feb. 25, "a young girl ran to an adult asking for help saying she was being chased by a white male with a white beard in a white van."
In another incident, police said the man offered brownies to try to lure a child to his vehicle.
Police are not sure whether the cases are connected, but the suspect's description is similar: an older white man, with a long white beard and possibly balding.
There was a report of an older, white man with a white beard approaching children in Princeton last week. Police have since determined it was a false alarm and that the man actually knew the child.
