Child Predator on the Loose in Wyandotte? Police Say No

A Facebook post claiming that there's "a child predator on the loose" in Wyandotte is not true, Wyandotte Police Chief Daniel Grant said.

Grant said his department has received many calls from concerned residents about a man allegedly trying to abduct children near Wyandotte schools. School Superintendent Carla Harting said her office has received calls, as well.

"No students have reported an incident like the one mentioned," Harting said. "Just because it's on Facebook doesn't mean it's true."

The Facebook message, which has been shared online more than 1,300 times since Tuesday, says: 

ATTENTION ANYONE WHO CURRENTLY RESIDES IN WYANDOTTE AND LINCOLN PARK THERE IS A CHILD PREDATOR ON THE LOOSE WE SHARED A STORY ABOUT IT ALREADY BUT WHEN WE WATCHED THE NEWS THIS MAN HAS TRYED TO HIT 6 DIFFERENT AREAS WYANDOTTE AND LINCOLN PARK.THE AREAS ARE AS FOLLOWS.
WYANDOTTE-6TH AND ANTOINE.
WYANDOTTE-ANTONIE AND ELECTRIC.
WYANDOTTE-2ND STREET AND EMMONS.
WYANDOTTE-7-ELEVEN ON EUREKA AND BIDDLE.
LINCOLN PARK-DIX AND MICHIGAN.
LINCOLN PARK-GREGORY PARK.

PLEASE BEWARE AND KEEP YOUR CHILDREN IN THE HOUSE AND SAFE AND RE-POST AND SHARE AS MANY TIMES AS POSSIBLE AND LETS CATCH THIS HORRIBLE MAN THANK YOU.

Grant said there are no reported incidents at any of the Wyandotte locations listed in the post. Colleen Snethkamp, a Lincoln Park Police Department spokeswoman, said she knows of none in her city either.

While Grant said he dismisses the notion of a child predator, a Saturday incident remains under investigation. At about 6 p.m., a 13-year-old boy was walking near Sixth and Davis streets when he said a man got out of a work van and asked the teen to come over to him. The teen said the man then pulled out a knife before the teen ran away.

"We searched the area and were unable to locate any suspect (or) vehicle," Grant said. "We talked with neighbors to see if they recognized the vehicle and no one said they did."

Two other incidents were reported to police late last year, but Grant said officers were never able to confirm the stories or locate any suspects.

On Nov. 22, a fifth-grade boy said he was approached by a man at Vinewood and 4th streets as he walked to Garfield Elementary School.

On Oct. 22, three Wilson Middle School students said a man approached them near the Indian Village Apartments on Goddard, between Fort and 15th streets in Lincoln Park, as they walked to school.

In both of those cases, the students said the man drove a small black four-door car and was wearing a mask when he approached them as they walked to school in the morning.

"We've checked both of those cases out and have never been able to find anything to substantiate the reports," Grant said.

The woman who posted the Facebook message in question did not immediately return an email seeking comment as to where she received her information.