Police re-examine park incident

LANCASTER - Police say an incident Tuesday involving a 5-year-old girl at Martens Park may be more innocent than first thought.

"Yes," Capt. Dan Shupp said. "That would be a fair statement."

A mother called police after finding her daughter in the van of a stranger when the two got separated at a softball game when severe weather hit.

The mother went to the Lancaster Police Department two days later to report that an older woman driving a gray Chrysler van had asked her daughter to get into her van to “play with the little boy.”

However, police now say that scenario may not be accurate.

"After locating and speaking with the woman who was driving the van, she indicated that she was at the park with her grandson and they were playing over in the play area," Shupp said. "And the young girl followed them back to the van when the storm hit and got into the van. At that point in time she continued playing with her grandson, and that's when Mom kind of saw what was going on and came over and got her daughter."

But just as a precaution, Shupp said police will have the city prosecutor's office review the case.

Shupp said there are ways to avoid similar situations in the future.

"When you're dealing with children that young, obviously you want to make sure they are under supervision," he said. "And I don't know whether that was the case or wasn't the case in this particular case. But also, you need to educate your children on making smart decisions. Not going with people they don't know or getting into cars with people they don't know, and things like that."

jbarron@lancastereaglegazette.com

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Twitter: @JeffDBarron