Suspicious couple in a van found along with children, Wichita police say

Update, 10:15 a.m. Friday:

Police said they found the couple and two children at a hotel in the 8200 block of East Kellogg on Thursday night.

The couple had drawn several 911 calls after driving up to people in a 2006 Ford Freestar minivan and asking for help with their child. The 23-year-old man, 21-year-old woman, 1-year-old and infant were found at the hotel.

“The children were contacted by officers and were healthy and had their needs met,” Wichita police Officer Charley Davidson said. “Just asking for assistance is not a crime in itself.”

Davidson added that their behavior was suspicious. He said officers are working with the couple to help connect them with community resources.

Original story, Wednesday:

Wichita police are asking anyone approached by a suspicious couple in a van to call 911.

The man and woman have been reported to drive a minivan up to other people then ask for help with their child, despite the fact that no child can be seen in their vehicle, Officer Charley Davidson said in a news release.

The couple is driving a tan Ford Freestar van with Kansas license plate 078 LWY, Davidson said. The man was described to police as a dark-skinned black male in his late 20s or early 30s, who is bald and has a small build. He has been the driver. The passenger was described as a black woman in her late 20s or early 30s with shoulder-length hair.

The investigation into the suspicious activity involving the van began on Monday, when officers were called at around 3:55 p.m. to a suspicious character report in the 7700 block of East Kellogg, or the area of the Towne East Square mall. A 54-year-old mother told police that her 16-year-old son and 17-year-old daughter were approached while in a parking lot. The couple fled after the teens refused to help.

A second case happened at around 2 p.m. Wednesday in the 10500 block of West Central, on the northwest corner of Central and Maize. A 59-year-old woman told police that the couple pulled up along her vehicle. She left after refusing to help.

In both cases, the suspicious couple asked for help with their child. Neither time was a child actually seen in the van.

Similar incidents have also been reported in the 3700 block of North Woodlawn and in Andover, police said.

Anyone with information on the cases, the people involved or the van is asked to email Officer Lori Kimrey at lkimrey@wichita.gov.

This story was originally published February 19, 2020 at 8:37 PM.