CORONA DEL MAR : Parents Warned of Man Accosting Kids

School officials are alerting parents about a suspicious man who recently tried to entice two children into his car by telling them he had puppies.

The incident happened on June 5 as the two children were riding bicycles to Andersen Elementary School.

Sgt. Andy Gonis said the man had dark hair and a short beard and was driving a large white car with rust and dents.

Children at Eastbluff Kindergarten Center, Harbor View Elementary School and Andersen were given notices to take home to their parents about the incident. Marla Miller-Mazura, a parent at Eastbluff, said teachers also talked to students about staying away from strangers.

“My daughter said that they told her a bad man is trying to steal kids,” Miller-Mazura said. “You just have to warn them. It’s a shame, but in order to keep them safe, they have to know how to protect themselves.”