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Police: Elderly Couple Wasn't Out To Kidnap

SUGAR GROVE, Ill. (WBBM/CBS) -- Investigators in far west suburban Sugar Grove say they have gotten to the bottom of an attempted child abduction by an elderly couple.

As WBBM Newsradio 780's Julie Mann reports, earlier this week, an 11-year-old boy walking home from school told his parents he was approached by an elderly couple in a car, who offered him candy.

LISTEN: Newsradio 780's Julie Mann reports

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Residents in the Prestbury subdivision, where the incident happened, said they had also called police to report they had seen a vehicle matching the description the boy gave, with the elderly couple inside, earlier in the week.

Sugar Grove police Detective John Sizer admits the report was odd. But it ended up being solved easily.

Earlier in the day, the elderly couple's daughter had called police, and said she believed the man and woman in question were her parents. She said her father often gave candy to children at the bus stop, even though he had been warned not to do so because people would suspect him of a sinister intent, police said.

Around 4:15 p.m. Thursday, police pulled over the elderly couple, who kept coming to area to pick up their grandchild at a bus stop. Police later concluded that the couple had no intention of kidnapping anyone.

Sizer says despite the outcome in this case, there is a reminder that bears repeating to both parents and children.

"If they don't know the subject, don't engage him in a conversation. If they feel threatened, go home, report it to their parents, who can contact us and we'll follow up on it," Sizer said.

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