Girls say man in van tried to lure them inside

NICEVILLE – Lawmen are looking into the following incidents reported to the Niceville Police Department in recent days:

- A caller told officers an older man tried to lure two juvenile girls into a van in the Walmart parking lot. The caller said the man approached two young girls and they ran away from him quickly. The caller said he asked the girls what had happened, and they said a man tried to get them to come with him in his van. Officers have a description of the vehicle.

- A woman called police to say four youths in the Niceville Youth Center parking lot were starting fires. An officer went by and asked the kids what they were doing. They said they used pine straw to start a fire to keep their hands warm until their ride arrived. The officer told them to put out the fire.

- A caller said a large black bear was walking up Big Oaks Lane and getting into garbage cans. An officer found garbage cans overturned. The incident was reported to the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission.

- A woman who lives on Teresa Court said a man walked up to her at her house, asked if she were OK, then snatched her purse. She said he fled in a gold or beige Jeep.