Sheriff's Office releases sketch of man accused of trying to lead boy away in Collier

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday released a composite sketch of a man accused of trying to lead a 3-year-old boy away from his family on Sunday.

The boy and his family were taking pictures behind the Church of God Naples in the 11900 block of Collier Boulevard about 1:35 p.m. when a man approached the child, according to the Sheriff's Office.

While the mother was distracted, the man took the child by the hand and tried to lead him away, authorities said. 

When the mother noticed what was happening, she called out for help, and a family friend ran after the man and grabbed the boy, according to a Sheriff's Office report.

The man was described as Hispanic, in his 50s, 5-foot-8 and weighing about 180 pounds, detectives said. He has salt-and-pepper hair and brown eyes and was wearing jeans and a button-up black and white plaid shirt, the Sheriff's Office said in a release Wednesday.

The Sheriff's Office is asking anyone with information about the incident to call 239-252-9300.

Authorities also are investigating two other recent reports of a man trying to lead a child away.

On Oct. 19, a man tried to lure a child into his vehicle in East Naples, deputies said. The Sheriff's Office released a composite sketch for that suspect last week.

Two days earlier, Marco Island police responded to a report of a man trying to lure a middle school student into his car.

Detectives have "no reason to believe" the three incidents are connected, but they "cannot exclude it," a Sheriff's Office spokeswoman said Monday.