Just a note: there is also a polite young man going door to door selling cleaning products. He is wearing a white shirt, navy blue pants and has an I.D. tag around his neck. I just wanted to mention this to avoid confusion if he comes to your door or if you see him walking down the street.

Thanks Erica. I'm assuming that young man wouldn't be approaching little boys, however.

Stop selling door to door our community does not need it!!! Nice or not they are strangers approaching what we call our safe place!!!

Patty,
I urge you to contact all local Girl Scout troops, Boy Scout Troops, STMA students, and anyone else who sells door to door then.

Jerred No need to contact those groups you mention all of them sell inside and outside of public places like strangers should do not coming to our doors!!!

Is that realistic to expect? Better to put a no solicit sign up maybe?

We put up a "No solicitors please" sign on our front window by the door and they still continue to ring the doorbell and pound on our front door.

I'm always open to having the band/sports/clubs come to my door, though. So, there's that

A guy that is walking near the train tracks and yells for a little boy clearly would not be selling cleaning products. Very scary

Sounds like the litte boy knew just what to do in a scary situation like today. A good reminder to have that safety talk again with my own children.

Heard about this story tonight. Very happy all are safe. So impressed at the 6 yr old for following the plan that his parents obviously coached. It was a reminder to us to coach our own STMA 6 yr old. Grew up in St. Cloud, just a couple years older than Jacob Wetterling. We pick these communities because hey are safe, but you never know.

Also just a little bit of info. The City of Albertville requires all door to door sales people have a permit from the City. Ask whomever comes to your door to see it. Also, sales can only be done M-F until 4:00 P.M. Anytime after 4 and on the weekends is illegal.

To clarify, I never said the salesman and the suspicious person were one in the same. He was not approaching children, walking on the tracks or in the woods. The salesman had a city permit and he also told me that the police had approached him numerous times asking to see it as well. (Side note: Thank you to the police officers) I agree, always be aware and cautious of anyone suspicious.

I am very happy that the young boy knew what to do. Excellent job to the parents who taught him so well. I know first hand how scary it is. My heart goes out to that child, it will take some time to overcome this.

This is a scary event for any child of any age, but this is why people should be teaching their children what to do when this kind of thing happens.

Can anyone verify that there was an attemp in Albertville last night? Supposedly in a white and blue conversion van.

And yes, I saw her down the block later getting into the white ford van.

I heard it from a neighbor and wasn't sure if it was just talk. I ended up calling the wright county non emergency number about it and they did not have any reports of a white and BLUE van. So hopefully it is just a rumor.

Someone made a comment that, "We choose these communities because there safe". Having a family member who has made her career as a criminologist and has spent the last two years interviewing the sickos that abduct children. Her main goal is to find the similarities in the way these people think and carry out there crimes. I made the comment to her shortly after our move here from cities that I love not having to worry about my kids playing in the front yard. Before I could say more she explained to me that it's communities like this where abductions are most likley to happen. It's parents like me who put there guard down. Whats even more disturbing is the premeditation that goes into the actual abduction. She found the biggest similarites in how they would plan there crime. Most would tell her they would find the neighborhood before even knowing the person they would attempt to take. They look for communities that are easy in easy out with easy freeway access. She believes they tend to watch children or teens that follow a routine, like walking home the same way from school everyday or playing at the park before dinner. Just because were a small community does not make void to wierdos.

Thanks for this article. My heart goes out to the family and especially the little boy. Such a scary thing. We will continue the never ending family dialog about strangers and what to do if approached.

As far as door-to-door sales. A "No Soliciting" sign worked well for us, fortunately. We used to have one on the window of our front door and it worked almost every time. For the few who "missed" the sign (6 inches from the doorbell LOL! ), all I had to do was point to the sign, say sorry and smile. They always said oops, laughed and walked away. Also, door-to-door salesmen and "Avon" ladies have been around forever and many a family have been supported over the years by those professions. I'd rather have them coming to my door than all the goofy soliticitation calls that we get. Stay aware everyone, not only for your kids but for all the kids in our community.

Mike, any updates?

STMAMOM it's not a rumor. It happened to us. It's a White conversion van with blue panels. The guy driving it was in his 50s.

I realize this is not the section to be discussing the rude pushy, obnoxious sales people selling the expensive cleaning products; the ones that insult you and won't go away when one politely declines many times....
How wonderful the younngster knew what to do to create notice for himself and to scare off the freak that was calling for him. Good job young man and good job to his parents!!