A 16-year-old girl notified the Columbia Police Department after feeling threatened by a man in a white van Saturday.

The man stopped the girl as she was walking on Jenne Lane near Brown Station Road. The man first approached the girl by rolling down his window and asking if she wanted a ride. After she declined the offer, the man continued to pursue her. The man never got out of the van, but he stayed persistent and kept asking if the girl wanted a ride.

Feeling frightened, the girl ran through some backyards and hid from the man in case he left his van. She waited until she saw the van turn around and continue in the other direction.

At approximately 4:36 p.m. Saturday, CPD officers were notified of the suspicious incident. Within ten minutes, the first officer arrived on the scene. There were a total of five officers dispatched.

“After once or twice of (the man in the van) asking, it triggered something was wrong,” CPD spokesman Joseph Bernhard said. “She paid attention to her sixth sense and realized something was not right there.”

The suspect was described as a white male in his 20s with brown hair and some facial hair on his chin.

So far there are no leads on the suspect. The girl did not obtain the man’s license plate, but his van was described as a white van with many windows and something on the roof.

“Although there have been incidents like this in past years, there is not enough evidence and information to link this one to any of the others,” Bernhard said.

Police are still taking information from anyone with a lead. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Columbia Police Department or Crime Stoppers.