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A New Jersey State Police sketch artist produced a rendering of the driver (above) after detectives interviewed the youngster.
The encounter doesn’t match recent luring incidents in Leonia, Norwood or in other nearby towns, Capt. Daniel Hippe told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.
However, he said: “We’re treating this very seriously and doing whatever we can to identify who it was so that we can talk to them.”
Police also “have extra patrols out there,” Hippe said, “and we’ll keep them going as long as is deemed necessary.”
The boy immediately ran to an adult after the incident just after 3:30 p.m. Monday near the intersection of Preston Street and Pershing Court.
The driver, speaking in a Southern accent called out to the boy and “made a comment about coming over” the vehicle before driving off, the captain said.
The boy said the metallic blue SUV had silver/chrome rims and New Jersey license plates.
He described the driver as a dark-skinned black man in his 20s, with short curly hair and wearing a striped black/blue hooded sweatshirt.
The passenger was also black and his 20s, wearing a baseball cap, the boy said.
Although it’s possible it was “the act of two young people who were acting immaturely,” Hippe said, police will “continue to investigate this as a very serious matter until that can be confirmed.”
The captain also urged parents are asked to speak to their children about talking to strangers, whether in a vehicle or on foot.
ANYONE WITH INFORMATION about the incident or the man in the sketch is asked to call Ridgefield Park police: (201) 641-6400
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