Burbank police: Two men offer girl, 11, cash from car window, likely a ploy

An 11-year-old girl walking home from school Monday ran away after two men offered her money from a car and she thought it was a ploy to get her closer, police said.

The girl was walking home from Luther Burbank Middle School alone at around 3 p.m. when the “small, white, dirty” car pulled up to her at the intersection of Wyoming Avenue and Lima Street, said Burbank Police Sgt. Darin Ryburn.

“Hey you! Want some money?” the man, who was a passenger in the car, yelled, according to police.

The suspect –described as Latino with brown, bushy hair – was holding several bills in his hand, with his arm extended out of the window.

The victim ran away after thinking the money was a gimmick to get her closer to the car, Ryburn said.

“She didn’t know them, didn’t know what they were going to do, so she ran and went home and called the police,” Ryburn said. “I commend her and her parents for educating her for her doing the right thing.”

The driver was described as white male and roughly 30 years old.

When in this situation, children should cross their arms to avoid being grabbed, run away to the nearest safe adult to seek help and call 911, Ryburn said.

Anyone with information on the incident is encouraged to call Burbank police at (818) 238-3210.

-- Alene Tchekmedyian, Times Community News

Follow Alene Tchekmedyian on Google+ and on Twitter: @atchek.