Grafton police in Wisconsin say they are investigating a “suspicious incident” that occurred on Friday, April 7, 2023, at about 12:05 p.m. at the Grafton Costco on Port Washington Road.
“Police received a report that an unknown male allegedly approached a child in the bathroom and offered the boy candy if he left with him,” a police press release said.
The parents of a 7-year-old child reported that the unknown male approached their son in the bathroom, the release says. The boy said while he was at the sink washing his hands, he heard a man’s voice say something to the effect of, “If you come with me, I’ll give you some candy, but you’ll have to keep it secret," according to police.
The child did not speak to the man and never saw the man and wasn’t touched by the man. He left the bathroom and told his mother about the incident about 20 minutes later, according to Grafton PD.
The child could not provide a description but said that he heard the man’s voice, the release said.
“Because of the time delay, and the lack of a description of the suspect, it made the on-scene investigation more complex,” Grafton police Sgt. Sean Fuerstenberg said in the news release.
Grafton Police Chief Jeff Caponera said in the release that Costo is fully cooperating and provided over two hours of video for investigators to review.
The case remains under investigation as authorities attempt to identify anyone seen on video entering or exiting the restroom before and at the same time the child was in the restroom, the release says.
Police said that they are aware of social media reports alleging a young girl was approached the same day at Costco but called them inaccurate. They say only one incident was reported to police.
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