Galena Park ISD says stranger asked 7th grader if he wanted shoes after getting off school bus

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Galena Park ISD says a 7th grader is safe following a scary encounter after getting off the school bus.

The district said the incident happened on Strict Lane and Dunaway Street.

A letter to parents from the district did not specify which school the student attends or when exactly the incident happened -- though Pyburn Elementary School is just down the street and Woodland Acres Middle School is about a mile and a half away.

According to the letter, the 7th grader had just gotten off the bus when a light-skinned, bearded man driving a blue GMC truck yelled out to him, asking him about his shoe size.

At first, the student ignored the man, officials said. Then, the man asked the boy if he wanted shoes.

The student asked, "What kind of shoes?," the man responded, and the boy declined the offer, according to the letter.

That's when the district said the man stopped his truck, got out and started walking toward the student. The boy then ran off, and the man got back into his truck and sped away, according to the letter.

When the boy got home, he told his mother about what happened, and she called the police.

Now, Galena Park ISD is warning parents that predators may try to gain your child's trust in a variety of ways. These are a few examples:

• Someone may claim to be asking for directions or need help looking for a lost pet

• They may claim to be a friend of the parent and trying to help during an emergency

• Strangers may offer items like candy or shoes -- just like in the Galena Park ISD incident

• Someone may offer to play a game

The district said parents should remind their children to never go near a stranger's car, try walking with a group of friends, never accept rides or items from strangers, never tell anyone they are going home to an empty house, and always stay alert of their surroundings.

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