OCSO warns of "stranger danger" in area

The Orange County Sheriff's Office released a post on their Facebook page earlier today stating that a white van has been seen in the Orange area, on John St. and possibly in the Mauriceville area. The man was allegedly trying to lure children to the van by telling them there is a sick puppy in the van.

The man driving the van is described as being a white man with a white beard.

Sheriff Merritt said he didn't want to alarm anyone, but for the safety of the children in Orange County and surrounding areas, he advises for people to be aware and alert.

In response to a photo on Facebook of the van with the Ohio resident, The Orange County Sheriff's office said on their Facebook page, "Just to be clear, the white van in question is NOT the van in the pictures that are being passed around on Facebook. The person in those pictures has been arrested and is in jail. The vans and physical descriptions of the male are very similar but completely different. We are aware of the information on Facebook and appreciate everyone's concerns and input."

In addition, a response from Sheriff's Officer Chad Hogan said that as far as he knew, there was no further information on the incident.

The Record will have updates as they become available.