“Attempted student kidnappings”? It was the subject line of an email and social media posts making the rounds last Friday. Richardson ISD representatives say that while one school did send home some letters to parents regarding a suspicious incident involving a driver possibly attempting to lure a student, they say no students were physically harmed or touched, that they know of, that is.
“A junior high student reported that yesterday a driver of a car waved her over and she ran away,” explains Tim Clark, RISD spokesperson. “She did not indicate the driver spoke to her, made contact with her, got out of the car or pursued her.”
The incident happened near Forest Meadow Junior High, on Meadowknoll near Arbor Park, and that school’s principal, Kerri Jones, sent a letter to parents Friday, Clark says, “to provide accurate info about what the student reported happened.”
“A female Forest Meadow student reported that she had been approached while walking to school … by a dark green Ford SUV with tinted windows. The student reported that the driver rolled the window down and motioned for her to approach the vehicle,” according to the letter. “The student did not approach the vehicle and she ran away, reported the vehicle to a neighbor and is unharmed. The driver of the vehicle is described as African-American male in his late 20s. The driver was not reported to have exited the vehicle and did not make contact with or pursue the student.”
The incident was reported to the school’s assigned Dallas Police resource officer and RISD Safety & Security staff, according to the principal.
She adds that last year a separate incident was reported involving a male student of Moss Haven Elementary school.
“The vehicle in that incident was described as an older model red van, and our safety/security staff does not believe the two reported incidents are related.”
We will keep you posted on further developments. Meanwhile, Jones offers some suggestions for safe walking during the spring semester.
Walk with a parent or adult when possible; walk in groups, take paths that are populated as opposed to alleys and deserted spaces; do not interact with strangers; run and report immediately if something suspicious occurs — are among the safety tips.
