Man tries to coax 10-year-old into truck in west Houston

HOUSTON – Danger came right outside the home of a family in west Houston when a man allegedly tried to coax their 10-year-old son into his truck.

Keenan Swist, a fourth-grader, was walking home from the school bus stop on Meadowglen Lane near Beltway 8 and Richmond when he said the man started following him in the truck.

"It was really scary," Keenan said. "I just started running real fast."

Keenan said the man actually tracked him down the street and into his apartment complex after Keenan realized the driver was following him. The man almost had the child cornered when he yelled at Keenan.

"He backed up and he said, 'Get in the truck,'" Keenan said. "I just started running real fast."

Keenan ran all the way to his father, who was waiting at the apartment. His dad went outside to confront the man, but the driver took off as he got closer.

Keenan's parents are speaking out to make sure no other children are put at risk.

"He might've left this neighborhood and went to another neighborhood prowling," said Kennan's mother, Pleshay Watts. "So we just wanted the public to be aware."

"It's important because you don't want it to happen to anyone else's kids at all," said his stepfather, Thomas Watts. "Really, you don't want to see that happen at all. You want to get them off the streets."

The family described the driver as a middle-aged Hispanic man with shoulder-length hair. They said he was wearing a blue hat and glasses and was driving a white Ford F-150 with silver rims.

Keenan's father said the truck had a license plate number of either LMD P28 or LMD P2B.

Anyone with information about the man is asked to call Houston police.


About the Author:

Emmy Award-winning anchor, husband, dad, German Shepherd owner, Crossfitter, Game of Thrones junkie, chupacabra hunter.