Man Approaches Arlington Girl On Her Way To School
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ARLINGTON (CBSDFW.COM) - Authorities in Arlington have issued a safety alert for parents on Tuesday as kids head off to classes. A young girl from Ditto Elementary School was able to get away Friday after being approached by a man while she was on her way to a friend's house in the morning.
The girl and her friend were then going to walk together to campus, police said.
The school's principal sent a letter to parents, warning about the situation. The stranger "made contact" with the 11-year-old girl from behind, putting the child into a bear hug, while they were both walking Friday near the intersection of Arkansas Lane and Green Oaks Boulevard, just under a mile away from the school building.
The incident was reported to police, and officials with Ditto Elementary School are urging anyone who experiences something similar to call 911 and do the same.
Police described the suspect as a man in his 50s, just over six feet tall with a thin build. He either had a mustache or a goatee, and was generally unshaven. No further details were released about the man. In fact, authorities stated Tuesday that they may have already been able to identify him.
The news left parent Amanda Barton shaken. She has a 5-year-old child who attends Ditto Elementary School. "I just want all parents to understand how important it is to make sure that your children are safe at all times," Barton said Tuesday, "because he could have gotten away with that little girl."
But this was not the only incident to take place on Friday in Arlington. A second child was approached by a man in a car in the 1600 block of Randol Mill Road, while he was heading home from Wimbish Elementary School. The man asked the 6-year-old boy if he wanted a ride. The boy refused, but the man grabbed the child and tossed him into the vehicle anyway. There was an inappropriate exchange before the man let the boy out of the car.
Police are not sure if the two cases are connected. Ditto Elementary School and Wimbish Elementary School are located about seven miles apart from each other.
Officials said that this is a good reminder to talk with your kids about 'stranger danger' and what they should do if a situation like this happens. Also, it is good to make sure that your children are never out walking alone. Third-grader Caleb Barnes has already learned his lesson. "If you see a stranger, if you know that it looks a bit bad," he explained, "you should say, 'You're not my parent!' and then you should go tell an adult."
