Update: Man approaching Turlock homes about DNA samples has an explanation
Turlock police said Tuesday that no crime was committed by a man going door to door about DNA testing.
The man was not seeking DNA samples from children, as initially suspected, but instead was giving out testing kits in case kids go missing in the future, police said.
The unidentified man explained what he was doing in an interview at the Turlock Police Department, a news release Tuesday night said.
The first reports were on Dec. 4 and Dec. 7 at locations not identified by police. The initial news release said the man was asking parents to “provide fingerprints, hair samples and/or DNA from their children.” The man told residents that he was with Amber Alert, a system for publicizing missing children, police said.
“We were able to confirm that he represents a legitimate business,” Tuesday’s update said. “However, the manner in which the information was relayed led to some misunderstanding and concern among the residents that he contacted. ... He was not asking to retain the child DNA kits himself.”
Police said residents should still be careful when unknown people come to their doors: “Do not allow people you are unfamiliar with into your homes. Contact police immediately if you suspect any suspicious activity.”
