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(JOHN MCDONALD / iNFOnews.ca)

ARMSTRONG - Police are investigating a possible child-luring incident in Armstrong following several similar incidents in that community over the last year.

On Feb. 27 at roughly 4 p.m. police received a complaint of a possible child luring incident where two middle school students were asked if they wanted a ride home, RCMP spokesperson Const. Kelly Brett says in a media release.

She says the two children were walking along Otter Lake Road near the MacDonald Road intersection when a man driving a pickup truck offered them a ride home. He is described as an older Caucasian man with grey hair and sunglasses, wearing a brown jacket and blue jeans.

Police conducted patrols of the area but were unable to locate the vehicle or the man in question. RCMP are asking the driver to contact the Armstrong RCMP detachment in order to clarify his actions and hopefully shed some light on this reported incident.

RCMP describe the suspect vehicle as an older model, white Chevrolet Silverado with the letters 'Z-71' on the rear passenger panel and the word 'Chevrolet' on the rear window.

Witnesses have told police there was a black pickup truck behind the suspect vehicle and the driver may have witnessed the incident. Police would to talk to the driver.

This is not the first time police have learned of possible child-luring attempts in the Armstrong and Spallumcheen area. In 2017, there were four reports, including a young boy being offered a ride home on Feb. 16, a boy offered a ride home on April 6, a child offered a ride on May 24 and two girls offered a ride on Dec. 5.

“At this time our investigators are aware of the recent reports of similar incidents and are examining all of the information and continue to seek the public’s assistance,” Brett says. “Our communities should be mindful of these incidents and we ask that anything felt to be suspicious in nature be reported to the police right away.”

“The children’s actions in this situation are commended as they declined to speak to the male, however RCMP are reminding parents to discuss personal awareness and safety strategies with their children."

Go here for safety tips from the RCMP.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Armstrong RCMP at 250-546-3028. Or remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or leaving a tip online.

— This story was updated at 3:43 p.m. Thursday, March 1, 2018 to include new information from RCMP about the suspect vehicle.

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