BELLINGHAM - About the same time as a man reportedly tried to abduct a local elementary school student Tuesday, Jan. 15, another student reported a scare with a suspicious man in a car, according to the Bellingham Police Department.

The incidents don't appear to be connected, police spokesman Mark Young said.

At about 4 p.m. Tuesday, a 12-year-old Whatcom Middle School student was walking up Carrington Way near Barkley Boulevard when she said a man stopped his black SUV in the middle of Barkley. She said the man partially rolled down his driver's-side window and waved in a way that she interpreted as trying to get her to come to the car. The girl ran, and the man stayed in his car and did not try to chase her.

The incident happened at about the same time Tuesday as the reported abduction attempt of a 10-year-old Parkview Elementary student. That girl said she was walking home from school when she saw a man standing outside of a parked black van in the 700 block of West Indiana Street. The man told the girl to get in the van, and she yelled "no" and ran away.

She said he chased her briefly before going back to his van. The man was described as Hispanic, in his 20s, with short, dark hair.

There was no description for the driver in the Barkley incident because the window blocked his face, but Young said the girl was adamant that he was not driving a van. Young said the incident was suspicious, but the timing was so close to the first incident and it was different enough that he doesn't believe they're connected.

Detectives are continuing to follow up on leads in the attempted abduction case. Anyone with information about that incident can call Detective Jana Bouzek at 360-778-8826.

Reach Zoe Fraley at 360-756-2803 or zoe.fraley@bellinghamherald.com. Read her school days blog at blogs.bellinghamherald.com/schools or follow her on Twitter at @bhamschools.