The students said they were walking from a restaurant in MacArthur Square back to Mahwah High School along Ridge Road around 6 p.m. Wednesday when a man got out of a four-door, blue or silver compact sedan near Erskine Court and approached them, Police Chief James Batelli told Daily Voice.
He "asked one of the girls if he could have her black purse," Batelli said.
"The girls ignored him and continued walking," the chief said, but then he "asked one of the girls if she would go with him, get to know her better.
"At that point the girls started to run to Mahwah High School."
Batelli asked that anyone who knows or saw anything that could help the investigation call Mahwah police: (201) 529-1000.Click here to follow Daily Voice Hackensack and receive free news updates.