Sheriff's officials are investigating a possible attempted kidnapping of a five-year-old boy who was playing in front of his house near Menlo Park on Saturday.

The boy was playing near the home in the 2000 block of Oakley Avenue near Alameda de las Pulgas and Valparaiso Avenue in an unincorporated area of San Mateo County at about 10:15 a.m. when a minivan stopped out front near the boy, sheriff's officials said.

The boy's mother walked toward her son and the van drove away, east on Oakley towards Cloud Avenue. The boy told his mother that a woman in the van offered him candy and asked if he wanted to go with her.

The van was described as an older faded blue minivan driven by a dark-skinned woman with dark hair. Anyone with information about the case has been asked to contact Detective Matt Broad at 650-363-4363.

— Bay City News Service

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