Parents React to Reported Abduction Attempts at El Dorado Middle School

When Concord resident Jim Schwartz was a middle school student decades ago, life was simpler, he said.

"We didn't have anything to worry about walking to school," he told Patch Wednesday afternoon while waiting to pick up Sarah, his seventh-grader granddaughter who goes to on West Street.

Although Schwartz said he doesn't worry about Sarah, who always has a family member pick her up from campus, Schwartz fears many of her friends don't have the same luxury of walking to and from school without the peace of mind he and his friends once had back in his time.

"Having to walk in groups, watching behind their back... how's that any fun?" said Schwartz.

The grandfather's reaction stems from two announcements sent from Mt. Diablo Unified School District officials regarding child luring attempts reported by El Dorado students in the past two months. 

The first incident was reported on March 26 by two sixth-graders, who said a stranger in a black car had asked them to get into his vehicle. They said "no" and walked away, according to Mt. Diablo Unified officials. 

The second was reported Monday, April 17, by a seventh-grade girl, who said a bald, heavy-set man in his thirties had asked her repeatedly to get into his beige van. She also walked away and notified school administrators, . 

"I'd be terrified if it had been my daughter when she was younger," said Joanie Pomeroy, who recently moved to Concord from Los Angeles. "I don't worry about my boy as much. He's bigger."

Pomeroy said even though warning messages like the one sent by Mt. Diablo Unified on Monday are a frequent occurrence in L.A., she still gets concerned when she hears them.  

Although Concord Police did not return a phone call for comment, an unmarked police car could be seen patrolling West Street, where both El Dorado Middle and are located, adjacent to . A regular patrol unit was also visible not too far, a block from the high school. 

"My kids attended all three of these schools right here," said Schwartz, who displayed discomfort with the recent reported incidents. "Every kid here should feel safe and not have to worry for safety. It wouldn't be fun having to worry about safety."

This link allows you to listen to the audio message Mt. Diablo Unified delivered to district parents. In it, Superintendent Steven Lawrence reminds parents to speak with their children about stranger danger safety tips and best practices, such as walking in groups and avoiding strangers. 

How did the two recent incidents impact you and your family? Are you concerned with the frequency of these reports? 

Tell us in the comments. 

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