Child Luring Attempt Reported at Frick Park Playground

The Greater Park Place Neighborhood Association is warning neighbors of a recent child luring attempt in the area of the Frick Park Playground.

The following is the message sent out by the local leaders this morning:

"There has been quite a bit of conversation the past few days in the Park Place Facebook group regarding two incidents of attempted child luring in Frick Park.

A Park Place resident reported an 'attempt to lure a child incident' at Frick Park last week. It occurred on the hill behind the regular swings between the playground and the Horseshoe Corral by the overpass. A man approached her son and his friend who were playing near the picnic table at the top of the hill and told them he was an 'animal scientist' and that he knew where to find squirrel traps. When the mother noticed him and called the boys down, he ran down the trail that took him further into Frick Park. When she went after him and called to him to see who he was, he hid behind the large rocks on the side of the hill. Unfortunately, she didn't get a good look at him, but called the police and they tried to track him through the woods by dog. The police responded very quickly, but they did not catch him. He was a white male, average to tall, and maybe (according to 6 year old witnesses) had blonde hair.

(This is the same incident that is being discussed on the Environmental Charter School message board.)

The mother says that she was told by the police officer who responded to her call that Fillip Teplitz, the man who was arrested for stalking kids at Frick Park (see news coverage below) a few weeks ago, was still in jail at the time this occurred.

News coverage:

Man charged with stalking kids in Frick Park
June 9, 2012 12:13 am
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Man arrested after watching, following young girl and mother at Frick Park
Posted: 11:38 a.m. Saturday, May 26, 2012
WPXI.com

Please immediately call the police if you see any sort of suspicious behavior."