GASTONIA, NC — Gastonia police are searching for a man who used candy to try to lure a teenage girl into his truck. The 14-year-old says she had just gotten off her bus Tuesday when a man wearing a mask drove up and offered her candy. It happened on West Poplar Street. The girl ran to a neighbor for help.
“We need to get this man off the streets,” said Gastonia resident Joe Buckley, “because if something was to happen to one of the other kids, then all of the other ones are going to look back at this and wonder why we didn’t do anything as grown ups.”
Police have a vague description of the suspect. They are checking to see if any nearby sex offenders have a black Chevy Silverado like the one the girl says the man was driving. Officers say a similar vehicle has been spotted near Rhyne Elementary School.
