Roanoke County police have issued this press release:

The Roanoke County Police Department is seeking to dispel some mistaken information that is being circulated by emails forwarded among different parents’ groups and both public and private schools, primarily in the south Roanoke County area. The emails concern a suspicious tan vehicle which has been observed on a couple of occasions over the last two weeks in residential neighborhoods located off Brambleton Avenue and Bent Mountain Road (US 221). The original callers expressed concern to police that the vehicle was in the neighborhoods at the same time as school buses discharging kids returning home from school.

In both instances in which police have been called, one on March 21 and the second on March 26, the complainants obtained a specific description of the car, including a tag number. The same description, including the same tag, was provided to police in both instances. Police located the car on both occasions and officers spoke to the owner/operator each time. On neither occasion was this person found to be engaged in criminal activity.

There appear to be at least two versions of the email being circulated about. One of the emails goes so far as to state that the county police are seeking to apprehend the driver in the act of abducting a child. Understandably, this seems to have caused considerable concern among parents.

The county police are NOT seeking to apprehend this vehicle as was reported in the emails. This should not be construed to ever discourage anyone from contacting the police should they observe this or any other person behaving in a suspicious or threatening manner. However, to repeat, the county police are not seeking the tan sedan at this time.