FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WKRN) — Police are investigating after a “suspicious man” reportedly attempted to pick up a five-year-old child Friday night at The Factory at Franklin.
According to police, the man repeatedly tried to sit near the little boy before putting his hands under the child’s arms in an attempt to pick him up. The man moved away from the boy and left after being confronted by the child’s relative, officers said.
The man involved, wearing a pink hat in photos provided by Franklin police, was at The Factory with two other people. The three left in an older, dark-colored long, boxy vehicle with a loud exhaust, investigators explained.
In a statement, Franklin police said “while there is no way to concretely know the man’s intentions, the department takes seriously its responsibility to protect children and to inform the public. If there is any misunderstanding, we hope the man will come forward so we can put the child’s parents and our community at ease about what happened.”
The department also encouraged parents to use the incident as an opportunity to talk with their children about “stranger danger.”
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the Franklin Police Department at 615-794-2513.
