SAN ANTONIO — A Stone Oak family is warning the community about a recent case of child luring. According to the couple, a man tried to entice their 16-year-old son toward his vehicle.
It happened just before 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday near Stone Oak Parkway.
The teen’s father met with KENS 5 on Thursday. We agreed to withhold his name at his son’s request.
“He’s just scared to death now,” said the boy’s the father. “Tuesday evening, our son left work. We live within a quarter mile from the place of business where he works. A man approached him in the parking lot of a local restaurant that he walks past and was attempting to get him into the vehicle. [The man] made a lot of hand motions, saying ‘Hey kid! Come here kid!’ He preceded to get out of the car. My son said the car was a solid black; it almost looked like a Volkswagen Jetta. He said the inside of the car was dark, he couldn’t see the man's face.”
The Stone Oak resident told us his son’s phone had died during his shift.
“He’s very small for his size, he doesn’t look like a 16-year-old boy," the father said.
The father says the man started to approach his son, so he took off running.
“He ran over to the only place he could find that still had people in it, which was an Anytime Fitness,” said the father. “He banged on the glass repeatedly to get in. He said someone was trying to pick him up, someone tried to take him.”
KENS 5 spoke with the gym member who let the teenager inside. He said the boy was distraught, so he helped the teen call his parents.
“I’m just thankful for this guy who opened the door and listened to him,” the father teared up.
48 hours after the incident, the family is still shaken.
“It’s terrifying,” said the teen’s father. “Parents need to alert their children of all ages. Don’t take anything for granted. Be aware of your surroundings, be aware of the people around you. There are people out there that are just not safe to be around.”
The couple reported the incident to the San Antonio Police Department. If you have any information about the incident, you are asked to call police.