Police: Man approached children at North Side school playgrounds

Chicago Police are searching for a man who has approached children at school playgrounds in the Lake View and Lincoln Square neighborhoods on the North Side.

The man walked onto school playgrounds and spoke to the kids in the 4300 block of North Paulina and the 4700 block of North Wolcott, according to a community alert from police.

At 1 p.m. April 19, the man walked up to a group of children and a parent on a playground and told them he was a movie star, police said. He said that he had children of his own and asked them what the school hours were before a parent walked him off the playground.

At 5 p.m. May 5, the man walked around a playground saying “hi” to the children, and when a parent confronted him, he told them he was inspecting the equipment, police said. He eventually left the playground but was later seen walking in the area.

He is described as a 20-to-25-year-old white or Hispanic man with short black hair, police said. He was wearing jeans, a T-shirt and driving an older two-door turquoise Oldsmobile.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Area North detectives at (312) 744-8200.