Residents, students and teachers are asked to be on the lookout for a man who grabbed an 11-year-old as she was heading to school in downtown Redmond Wednesday morning.
According to Redmond Police Department (RPD) spokesperson Jim Bove, the girl was dropped off on the east side of 166th Avenue Northeast by Redmond Elementary School before most other students arrived for school. At around 7:45 a.m., the girl was approached by the man, who grabbed her wrist and asked if she wanted to go with him. She said “no” but the man continued to pull her in his direction. The student said no again and screamed. That’s when the man let go and ran south toward the corner of 166th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 80th Street.
Kathryn Reith, communications director for Lake Washington School District, said the student was a little shaken up from the incident — as expected — but is physically fine.
“She’s okay,” Reith said.
She said the district has followed the RPD’s advice and Redmond Elementary has not gone into lockdown mode as police officials do not believe the school is in danger. Reith added that police and school officials do not think the suspect will return to the school, especially now that people are on the lookout for him.
Reith said they are sending a letter home to parents about the incident and advising parents to review with their students what to do in a “stranger danger” situation.
“Fortunately, this student did exactly what she was taught to do in stranger danger,” Reith said about the girl who was grabbed Wednesday morning.
Reith said Redmond Elementary’s start time is 9 a.m., so the area was pretty empty when the student was grabbed. The school does have some programs that take place before school and she said the student was participating in a program that began at 8 a.m.
The suspect is described as a black adult male who is about 6 feet tall with a stocky build. Police say he was wearing a black hat of some sort, dark gray hooded sweatshirt, dirty dark blue jeans and carried a green leather satchel, described as not a backpack.
“It’s a reminder for everyone to be on the lookout for suspicious activity,” Bove said.
Anyone with information is asked to call 911.
