VERNON TOWNSHIP —Two young boys were playing outside this week when a man they didn’t know stopped beside them and tried to entice them into getting inside his vehicle.

The children, ages 7 and 8, ran off as a Mullen Road neighbor who witnessed the incident Wednesday afternoon alerted the Vernon Township Police Department.

Now, “we’re appealing to the public for assistance” in apprehending the man, township police Chief Randy Detzel said Thursday during the Vernon Township supervisors meeting.

Few details were available, but Detzel said the unidentified suspect — described only as a white male with sandy brown hair — was reportedly driving a dark-colored sport-utility vehicle.

‘This is somebody’s neighbor, somebody’s employee, somebody’s buddy,” Detzel said, adding anyone with information to offer can remain anonymous if they choose to do so.

He urged anybody with information to immediately call the department at 333-6309.

And township Chairman Bob Davis also advised residents to “tell your kids, tell your grandchildren, (and) tell your schools” to be on the look-out. “There’s no compassion to show toward anybody like that. ... Let’s get them off the street, and put them away for good.”