ROY — Police were looking Wednesday for a man who allegedly tried to lure a young girl into his car as she was walking to school.

Just before 7 a.m., a 12-year-old girl was walking to Roy Junior High School along 5300 South. Near 2000 West, a vehicle drove past the young girl. The driver whistled at the girl as he drove past, said Roy police detective Damon Christensen.

By the time she got to the corner to cross the street, the vehicle had made a U-turn and pulled up beside her, and the driver asked if she wanted a ride, Christensen said.

The girl told the man, "No," which then prompted the driver to ask, "Are you sure?"

"As he said this, he undid his seatbelt and reached for the door handle," Christensen said.

The girl responded by dropping her backpack and running to the nearest house for help. Another nearby driver, who was delivering newspapers, watched the events unfold, the detective said.

"She was very smart. She did the right thing," Christensen said.

The vehicle drove off in a hurry. The young girl, now sobbing, went to the newspaper carrier's vehicle for help when no one was home at the house.

Police were looking for a 2005 or newer model dark-red Mustang with a black stripe down the side. The only description of the driver was a white male in his 20s or 30s with short brown hair and a "5 o'clock shadow." He was last seen wearing an orange vest like a crossing guard or one worn by construction workers.

Anyone with information can call police at 801-774-1011 or 801-629-8221.

— Pat Reavy