Attempted abduction in Redondo Beach didn't happen

An 8-year-old boy's report that a man tried to lure him into his car in Redondo Beach was a misunderstanding, and police today said nothing happened.

Officers determined that the boy misinterpreted the man's innocent comment as he walked past him Thursday afternoon, Redondo Beach police Lt. Joe Hoffman said.

"We don't blame the kid," Hoffman said. "The kid thought he perceived danger."

The boy, police said, ran home and reported the "attempted kidnapping" to his mother, who called police.

The boy told offices he was walking in the 2500 block of Huntington Lane at 3 p.m. when he passed a car parked at the curb.

The man opened the door and said things to the boy that made him feel the man wanted him to get in the car, police said.

Detectives investigated, talking to the child and the man, who turned out to be a neighbor, Hoffman said.

The man told police he was unloading packages from his car and saw the boy walking along the sidewalk. For some reason, the boy walked into the street to go around the car parked at the curb.

The man lost sight of him, but soon saw him on the

The man lost sight of him, but soon saw him on the sidewalk past his car. "Oh, there you are," the man said.

The boy took off running. The man later told his wife something strange had happened, but chose not to knock on the boy's door to make sure he was all right.

Police took the boy's report seriously, and notified the public through the media.

Officers wanted the word to spread quickly that the report was false, Hoffman said.

"It was a misunderstanding," Hoffman said. "The families know each other and the child was initially frightened. It was in no way a kidnapping attempt."

The boy apparently did not recognize the man.

Police initially said they were looking into whether the boy's report was linked to incidents in November of a man exposing himself to teenage girls in South Redondo Beach.

In each instance, the man asked the girl questions and tried to engage her in conversation before getting out of his car and exposing himself.