Children Recant Story About Man Stalking Them At Brooklyn Home
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A man was released from custody Monday evening after two children recanted their story about being stalked at and around their Brooklyn home.
The 8-year-old girl and her 12-year-old brother are the children of an NYPD officer, and had earlier claimed that the man had stalked them for two days, police said.
They said he followed them to their bus stop and also showed up twice at their home – at one point even asking the girl where she slept, police said.
Police had earlier claimed the man was caught on surveillance video looking inside their windows near Eastern Parkway and Brooklyn Avenue in Crown Heights after exiting a white sedan, police said.
On Friday morning, the girl had said she noticed the man creeping behind her as she walked with a friend to a bus stop. He had purportedly crouched behind cars as she walked towards the other kids and parents waiting for the school bus, CBS2's Magdalena Doris reported.
Later Friday evening, police shad earlier aid the girl saw the same man pull up in a white four-door sedan, walk up the steps to her family's home, and peer inside. He allegedly had been taking pictures inside the family's windows, police said.
The girl had claimed she neared the suspect who asked where she sleeps at night and who was living in the home with her, and that when she refused to answer, he ran off.
The children had earlier told police the man had approached the boy and asked the same questions on Saturday.
Police had also earlier claimed the man left a letter at their home for their parents to find that read, "Watch out. I am watching you!! Your daughter is cute."
A man turned himself in to police in connection with the incident, but was deemed innocent and released from custody after the video was released, police said.
