San Diego County Sheriff's deputies are searching for a man who attempted to lure an 8-year-old boy into his vehicle Thursday afternoon in the Bostonia area near El Cajon.

The incident occurred around 2 p.m. on Greenfield Drive near State Route 67 as the child was walking home from school. According to the Sheriff's Office, a white pickup truck pulled alongside the boy, and the driver told him to get in the vehicle.

The boy immediately ran away. A woman who witnessed the encounter stayed with the child until his mother arrived and reported the incident to authorities.

"The case has been assigned to a sheriff's detective, and the investigation is ongoing," said Detective Sgt. Colin Snodgrass.

Authorities described the suspect as a bald, muscular white man with several tattoos. The vehicle was identified as a white pickup truck.

The Bostonia area is an unincorporated community adjacent to El Cajon and within minutes of Santee neighborhoods. Local parents are urged to remind children about stranger danger and to report any suspicious activity immediately.

Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to call the San Diego County Sheriff's Office at 858-868-3200.