Berkeley schools warn of man trying to lure middle schooler into van

BERKELEY, Calif. (KGO) -- The Berkeley Unified School District is alerting the community Wednesday night about a man who tried to lure a middle schooler into his van. It happened as the girl was waiting for the bus.

Tima Mampouya, 12, was waiting at the bus stop at Shattuck and Durant avenues when she had a disturbing encounter with a man in a dark green minivan.

"He was gesturing me to come into his car and he was blowing air kisses and waving," Mampouya said.

"I believe he was trying to apprehend her. If he would have, he could have," said Mampouya's mother Jacee Santos. She says she got a text from her daughter as soon as the man drove off.

"I'm dropping her off at school now, which is really hard," Santos told ABC7 News. "I'm a single parent. I can't always take time off but because of the importance of safety, I have to drop her off at school or have her buddy up. I'll do that."

Tima says the man had a dark beard and was wearing a baseball cap. It's a similar description of a man involved in two similar incidents two years ago.