Riverside police are asking the public for assistance in their investigation into a complaint filed by an 11-year-old Riverside boy who said he was being followed to school on the morning of Jan. 17.

According to police, the boy was walking westbound on Shenstone Road near Delaplaine Road about 8:40 a.m. when a black or dark-colored van slowly pulled up to the curb where the boy was walking.

The passenger side window lowered and the driver of the van reportedly asked the boy if he wanted a ride. The boy turned and ran eastbound toward his home. When he reached his home, the boy reportedly went inside, locked the door and looked out the window. From that vantage point the boy said he saw the van drive through a nearby alley.

He waited for several minutes before heading off for Hauser Junior High School, where the principal was alerted to the incident. Police have described the van as a black or dark-colored Chevy Astrovan with an antenna toward the rear.

Police said the boy could give them no description of the driver, except to say he had a deep voice. Anyone who sees a vehicle matching the description of the one involved in this incident is asked to call 911.