Winter Haven police are searching for a strange man in a green Tacoma truck who reportedly tried to pick up two young girls at a bus stop after school in Winter Haven on Thursday.
Chivonne Wilson says her two girls and two of their friends, all under 12, were heading home from school after getting off the bus when the incident occurred. The girls say as soon as the bus pulled away, the truck pulled up and a man asked them if they wanted a ride. The girls ignored him and another mom eventually came to pick them up.
The man reportedly waited around and only drove off once they got into the other car. The man is described in his 40s with salt and pepper hair.
Wilson says changing bus routes or at least making the kids walk shorter distances could prevent this from happening to other kids. She blames budget cuts for taking bus drivers off the road for magnet and choice schools, forcing students to walk longer distances to get on the bus or walk home from the bus stops.
If you see anyone or anything suspicious, Polk County deputies ask you to report the activity.
If you have any information about the green Tacoma or the man involved, please call Winter Haven police.
