NJ cops warn not to rush to share surveillance pics on Facebook
CLIFTON — A suspected child-luring case turned out to be a misunderstanding because of a language barrier, according to police.
Authorities on Friday thanked the community for their assistance in past cases. In this case, however, the posting of a surveillance video screenshot of a white van whose driver approached a 13-year-girl was not as helpful.
Police said the man had pulled up to the girl and asked her to take a package he was delivering.
"In this case, a neighborhood resident posted the surveillance video prior to the start of the investigation. In turn, this caused the incident to intensify prematurely and ultimately impeded a portion of the investigation," the department said on its official Facebook page.
However, police did praise the teen for her "quick action and reporting the scene in a timely fashion."
Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ