CARMI – Carmi Police say an incident involving an older man trying to get the names of two young girls and lure them into his car at Dairy Queen last Thursday afternoon was a mistake.

Police came to this conclusion after doing several follow up interviews and watching footage from several videos from businesses and residents in the area. Police identified the man and spoke with him.

The man said he was told by a woman to pick her young child up at Dairy Queen and bring her to Little Giant where she was finishing up grocery shopping. He went to Dairy Queen and saw two girls in the parking lot believing one of them was the child of the same age he was supposed to pick up. He pulled up to the girls and hollered the name of the girl he was supposed to pick up and told her to get in the car. The girls didn’t respond, so he hollered again at her to “get in the car and asked what their names were.” He then hollered “did you not hear me, I said get in the car your mom sent me to get you.”

The man said the girls ran off realizing neither of them was the girl he was supposed to pick up.  He then left the parking lot and went inside to get the girl who was inside and not outside. He then drove the girl directly to Little Giant and picked up the mother who was finished grocery shopping by the time.

Carmi Police verified this information with the mother of the child as well as through video footage.

Carmi Police thank everyone who witnessed what happened at Dairy Queen and for their quick response in calling police and making sure the two girls were safe.