JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. – A safety alert that went out to residents of Jefferson County after an unidentified man offered a ride to an 11-year-old was the result of a misunderstanding, deputies said Thursday.
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputies said the man approached the 11-year-old boy in the area of West Chatfield Avenue and South Kipling Parkway and asked if he could give the child a ride home at around 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
When the boy refused the ride home, the suspect told the child he had seen him before and once again offered him a ride home. The boy refused the offer a second time and ran until he reached his home safely, according to a spokesperson for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
Thursday morning, deputies said the man came forward and explained that he was the father of a boy who is in the same martial arts class as the 11-year-old and was legitimately offering the boy a ride home. The boy simply hadn't recognized the man, deputies said.