Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, March 6, 1990                   TAG: 9003062038
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: New River Valley bureau
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG                                 LENGTH: Medium

CHILDREN REPORT 2 MEN OFFERING RIDES FROM BUS

The children, ages 9 and 12, told their parents that two men wearing dark blue or black ski masks stopped at their bus stop and offered them bubble gum, candy and a ride home.

One of the parents reported the incident Monday morning to the school principal, Lois Hinkle, who notified the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department.

A deputy interviewed the father and some of the pupils who were at the bus stop, Lt. W.B. Tolley said. They said they saw what they believed was a pistol lying on the front seat between the two men.

The car was described as a medium to large four-door black sedan. It also had red and white paper tags, which Tolley said he thinks were probably 30-day temporary license plates.

The children also told their parents that the two men removed their ski masks as they drove away and they could see they both had long hair, one blond, one brown, Tolley said.

The incident happened about 2:45 p.m. Friday on U.S. 460 in Elliston.

Hinkle said the school had no plans to tell other children of the reported incident. She said pupils are well aware of the dangers of accepting food or rides from strangers.

A few times each year, kindergarten through fifth-grade pupils take part in the county's Safety Bus Program. Pupils are taught about bus safety and taught to go straight home after the bus drops them off and not to accept rides from strangers.

"I feel sure that the program worked" in the case of Friday's incident, Hinkle said.