Security increased near North Texas high school after suspicious vehicle incident
NORTH TEXAS – During the first week of school, Richardson ISD will have increased safety and security staff presence near J.J. Pearce High School. This comes as police investigate a suspicious vehicle that appeared to be following a student. Part of the incident was caught on home surveillance video.
Shane Burke said his workday was just starting, around 8 a.m. Monday, when a J.J. Pearce High School student rang his doorbell.
"She was obviously in distress and upset and she explained someone had been following her and going back and forth and on Melrose, turning around and coming back," he said.
He said at first, he wasn't overly worried, but then he checked his security camera video.
"When I saw what was actually happening, I knew that this is actually serious," he said. "She was totally correct about what she thought was happening."
In his video, you can see a black Toyota Corolla going back and forth on Melrose Drive near Melrose Circle. The teen hides behind a tree, then moves around Burke's car, visibly shaken, before heading for his front door.
"This is unthinkable that this has happened here," Burke said. "Absolutely should not."
He said his wife helped the teen get to the school-sponsored event she was walking to.
"She handled this right and if she hadn't this might've gone a different way," he said. "The community is really rallying around her to find out who is doing this and why are they doing it?"
As Richardson police investigate, Richardson ISD is asking parents to visit with their children and reinforce walking with a parent or responsible adult, walking in groups, and avoiding alleys and deserted or enclosed places.