Gardaí investigating report of suspicious approach to male teenager in Limerick

The man was acting suspiciously in the area and approached the boy when he was walking a very short distance from his home to a friend’s house.

Gardaí are investigating reports of a suspicious approach towards a male teenager in Castleconnell, Co Limerick.

Specially trained gardaí have been speaking to the 16-year old male who reported the matter two weeks ago, after informing his mother.

The mother, who said she did not wish to be identified, said her son was walking a very short distance from his home to a friend’s house in the village on February 23, when he was warned by a group of local youths that a man was acting suspiciously in the area.

“It was a Sunday evening, two weeks ago, around 7pm, my 16-year old, 6 ft 1 inch tall rugby-playing son was walking up the hill in Castleconnell, and this purple jeep pulled up beside him, and a man rolled down the window and he said, ‘your mam has been in an accident and I got a phone call to come and collect you’,” the woman explained.

So my son said to him, ‘I’ve just been with my mam and she’s fine’, and the man drove off down the street.

“I called gardaí and they sent two lovely officers out to us and they sat with my son and spoke to him and asked him had he any description of the man and the vehicle.”

The woman said her son described the man as being in his late 50s, of heavy build, with a rural accent, dark curly hair.

It is not known if there was anyone else in the vehicle at the time.

Detectives have visited premises and homes in the village to harvest CCTV footage in the hope it may yield useful footage.

The woman warned other parents to be vigilant and to remind their children, no matter how old of the potential dangers of walking alone.

A garda spokesman confirmed an investigation was underway into the alleged incident.

“Gardaí are investigating a report of a suspicious approach to a male youth (16 years) that is reported to have occurred in the Castle Court area of Castleconnell, Limerick, on February 23 at approximately 7pm,” said the spokesman.

“Anyone who may have information in relation to this alleged incident can contact Castleconnell Garda Station on 061 377 105."

No other offence occurred and enquiries are ongoing.