A Most Unwelcome Invitation in Dayton

It is a melancholy truth that the world of rogues, and now and then, one sees fit to trouble the good people of Dayton. Such was the case on the afternoon of March 10, when a young boy, minding his affairs near Sutro Elementary, was approached by a scoundrel in a most dubious conveyance.

The miscreant in question, a heavy-set, freshly shaven bald man clad in the regrettable choice of a tie-dyed jacket, rolled up in a sun-worn blue van—one of those panel types that makes honest folks uneasy. The vehicle exuded an air of lawlessness, lacking even the dignity of a license plate, and its driver did little to improve matters by inviting the boy to accompany him on a “tour” of the Sutro Tunnel.

To the eternal credit of the young lad, he declined the unsolicited proposition with all due haste, retreating at once to the safety of his home while the blue van rumbled off toward Highway 50. The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office took up the matter with vigor upon hearing tell of this sordid attempt and is now endeavoring to secure any surveillance footage that might assist in apprehending the rogue.

Let it serve as a cautionary tale: if ever a fellow looks as though he has not seen an honest day’s work in years, is dressed like a walking hallucination, and attempts to lure a child into a vehicle, one would do well to report him at once—before he gets it into his head to try again.