Oak Creek Police advise families of suspicious van

The Oak Creek Police Department has issued a warning about what they’re calling a “suspicious” van. They think it’s targeting children.

Now they’re asking for the public’s help tracking suspects down.

Residents in the Applecreek subdivision describe the area as quiet and close knit. But some parents say the recent report has them on alert.

“We all watch out for each other, we all watch out for everyone’s kids,” says Jennifer Olsen, area resident.

For the past 17 years Olsen and her family have lived in the area.

“It made me nervous even about leaving my daughter home alone who is in high school,” says Olsen.

A parent from the neighborhood took to social media to warn others about the white van that reportedly followed a 10-year-old on her bike. The driver even tried to get the child into the van but she went home and told her mother. Now, Oak Creek police want more information about the van.

“I was kind of scared because this is a really nice neighborhood and just really calming,” says Maddie, who frequents the area to visit her grandparents.

A neighbor in the area captured photos of the van describing it as an old company vehicle with the logo peeled off.

“We’ve had a lot of strange things happening in the neighborhood so we all watch out for each other now,” says Olsen.

Jennifer says the van incident adds on to recent cases of break-in’s and thefts. But she hopes raising awareness of this incident will keep families on high alert and spark conversations with children.

“If you come back again, there’s going to be a lot of us calling the police,” says Olsen. “We notice which cars do not belong in our subdivision.”

Oak Creek police says the driver of the van was a white male. A van matching the description was seen in the area with a white male driver and a black passenger.

If you have any information you’re asked to contact police.