RCMP say it was a case of mistaken identity.

They say a suspicious incident reported Monday in Kelowna, where a man in a vehicle approached a young girl to offer her a lift, was not a suspicious occurrence after all.

Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey said the man involved came forward and explained he mistakenly thought the girl was the daughter of one of his associates.

O’Donaghey said police had positively identified the persons of interest in the vehicle involved and confirmed that the driver had mistaken the young girl for someone else.

“Police are satisfied through discussions of all those involved that the man’s intentions were not criminal in nature,” said O’Donaghey.

Still, the RCMP is reminding children to never accept a ride from strangers, or even someone they may know, without checking with a parent first.

“Parents are strongly encouraged to establish a secret word or secret phrase for your family, so that a “safe” person or “safe” ride, other than their parent or guardian, can be identified in the event of an emergency,” he added.

He thanked the man for coming forward to help set the minds of parents in the community at ease.