Student offered ride by suspicious man near Park Ridge train station

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Updated: January 17, 2012 3:34PM

An unknown man allegedly approached and followed home a Park Ridge high school student on Jan. 11.

According to Park Ridge police the 15-year old girl at 2 p.m. had exited the Dee Road Train Depot at 950 Busse Highway when a man approached her and offered her a ride home.

He also gave her a piece of paper with a phone number and said to call if she wanted to “hang out in the city, presumably Chicago,” said Park Ridge Administrative Lieutenant Duane Mellema, adding that the man did not appear to have a car.

The teenager declined his offer and walked to her residence on the 1200 block of Hoffman Avenue with the man trailing behind on foot. She lost sight of him after she entered her home, Mellema said.

The man was described as a 25- to 35-year-old black man standing between 5-foot-6 and 5-foot-8. He had short hair and wore a black jacket and black pants.

Mellema said it appeared to be an isolated event as similar incidents had not been reported in recent months.

“It may not be a criminal incident but a person who approaches relationships in a different way,” he said. “It’s very strange no matter if the person had ill intention or not.”

Police have the paper with the phone number and are investigating the incident, Mellema said.

School districts, including East Maine School District 63 and Park Ridge-Niles School District 64, put out community alerts regarding the incident.