A Mandarin boy says a man tried to lure him into his SUV with candy and video games.
His mother said she’s frustrated police haven’t alerted the public.
“He asked me, ‘Do you want some candy?’ And I’m like, ‘No, go away. I’m not dumb,’” said 12-year-old Rowan Bentley.
Rowan said around 4 p.m. Wednesday, a man driving a black SUV approached him three times while he was taking out the trash to the dumpster at his apartment complex, St. Augustine at the Lake.
“My mom told me about, like, how a kid got snatched. And she told me that if somebody tries to do that with you, just keep walking, try to get the license plate number, and make a scene. And those are three things I exactly did,” Rowan said.
Rowan’s mother Krisanne Bentley’s phone records show she called the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office non-emergency number, the apartment complex office and River City Science Academy next door.
“I was terrified and I just wanted to hug him, because that’s my life. That’s my life that somebody could have just snatched from me. And I wanted the guy caught,” Bentley said.
She said a JSO investigator never called her back and never alerted the public about the potential threat.
Bentley said after she posted it on social media, two other people said they also saw a driver of a black SUV acting suspiciously in the area.
“I wish that JSO would take this a little more seriously. I mean, these are our kids. We’re trying to keep them safe,” Bentley said.
Action News Jax reached out to JSO asking whether an investigator planned to follow up with Bentley and why the public was not alerted. We are still waiting on a response.