Man arrested for attempted kidnapping at San Joaquin County school, police say
TRACY — A San Joaquin County man is behind bars accused of trying to lure children from their elementary school Tuesday afternoon, promising them candy if they went with him.
It happened at around 2:20 p.m. as students were being released from Gladys Poet-Christian Elementary School in Tracy. The suspect was identified as Tracy resident Shiva Sharma, 20.
Sharma is accused of walking right up onto the campus and trying to convince two elementary school girls to get in his car.
"He was attempting to lure them off campus to get them to go to the store with him and purchase candy," said Kaylin Heefner, a spokesperson for Tracy police.
Both girls immediately reported it to an adult who then called 911.
"I just saw the police out of the gate and I got really scared because I didn't know what was happening," said third grade student Luis Napoles.
"To know that it could easily happen to him as well is scary," said Napoles' older sister Jocelyn Magallon.
Police say Sharma was allegedly armed with a screwdriver and ran away from the campus when a parent confronted him, investigators said.
While on the phone with 911 dispatchers, school staff chased after Sharma and were able to show officers which direction he fled. Officers arrived minutes later and arrested Sharma in a field behind the Raley's on South Tracy Boulevard about a half mile from the school.
"The staff here handled it very well," parent Emeterio Negrete said.
Negrete's daughter attends Gladys Poet-Christian Elementary. He said, last year, he saw Sharma acting strangely in the park that backs up to the school.
"I figured that he's not all there," Negrete said. "So I called the police and said there's a strange guy here saying things they shouldn't be saying."
In fact, Sharma has landed himself behind bars before on attempted kidnapping charges. Tracy police told CBS13 that Sharma tried to rob a student who was walking to a Tracy high school last year.
"He then continued to follow him to school where he wanted to get on campus with him so he could potentially rob somebody else," Heefner said.
Parents were upset when Sharma struck again this week.
"The fact that somebody can be so bold in broad daylight in the middle of a pickup line with parents is absolutely terrifying, so we all need to be vigilant as a community," a parent named Chris said.
No one was injured during the incident.
Sharma has since been booked into the San Joaquin County Jail. He faces two counts of attempted kidnapping.
Tracy Unified released a statement on the matter Tuesday night, saying:
"The district has training and safety plans prepared for incidents such as what we experienced today. We are grateful to the Tracy Police Department for arresting this individual within minutes and keeping everyone safe. We encourage our families to talk to their students about what they can do to keep safe, protected, and unharmed. If any of our staff and students feel they need counseling, they can visit the school office and it will be arranged for them. "
The district also sent a letter to parents, which can be read in full below.
"Dear Parents,
Student safety is a top priority for Poet-Christian School. Sometimes we have experiences that give us an opportunity to talk with our children about safety. Today, after school, we had an incident in the area we believe is important to share with parents.
As students were being released from school, a man in the area was talking to various students trying to get them to go with him even telling them that he had candy. Staff and parents saw this happening and immediately called the police. Staff chased after the man and once the Tracy Police officers got to the area, they apprehended the suspect and took him into custody. Tracy Police are currently investigating this matter. This is a prime example of why we all need to be alert of what is happening around us.
Keeping students safe requires a strong partnership between home and school. We would appreciate your family making time tonight to talk about student safety to and from school. This will help reinforce the safety tips teachers and administrators share with students during the school day. The following are some safety tips to help you with your conversation:
• All students should walk with an adult or friend, if possible.
• Stay away from strangers and never get into a car with a stranger.
• If a stranger approaches a student, the student should get away fast and immediately tell what happened to a safe adult at home or at school.Your help in developing safety smarts in our students for before, during and after school is appreciated. We appreciate your partnership in making Poet-Christian a safe place for our students to learn. If you feel your child needs counseling services, please contact the school office and arrangements will be made. Should you have questions about this incident or our School Safety Plan, please phone the school office at 830-3325.
Sincerely,
Albert Strong
Principal"
