ONLY ON ABC13: Spring ISD looking into claim that stranger tried to lure 14-year-old
The school district said the Wunsche Sr. High School student reported the ordeal on Nov. 30 in the Timber Lane neighborhood.
SPRING, Texas (KTRK) -- A 14-year-old girl in Spring ISD said she was followed by a man who got out of his car and chased her as she was walking home from the school bus.
Jeremy Yeakey said his daughter is a ninth-grade student at Wunsche Senior High School and gets dropped off at the bus stop at Bay Leaf and Trailing Vine every day. On Nov. 30 at about 3 p.m., she noticed a silver sedan with a black stripe near the bus.
"A guy rolled down the window and waved her over after bus took off and said, 'Hey, come over here,'" Yeakey said. "My daughter took off running, because she knew something wasn't right with that. He got out of the car and started chasing her."
According to Yeakey, the terrifying encounter didn't end there. He says the man got back in his car after he could not catch her, went down the street, and got out with a rag in his hand as he chased after her again.
"Luckily, she was able to cut through some yards, and there were some neighbors outside. And he jumped in his car, and he sped away after that," Yeakey said.
Jeanne Jenkins, who lives nearby, said she was putting away groceries when she saw the girl running and helped her to ask what was wrong.
"She said, 'Someone is following me. Someone is following me, and he's a weird guy,'" Jenkins said. "Her eyes were as big as saucers. She was scared to death. She was absolutely traumatized."
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He is described as a white man with a red, bushy beard and about 30-45 years old.
"My worst fear was never seeing my daughter again," Yeakey said. "She's my world, my little girl."
Harris County Pct. 4 Constables Office and Spring ISD police confirm to ABC13 that they are investigating and taking this seriously as they team up to search for the suspect. Extra police officers from both agencies have been patrolling the neighborhood.
Officials are asking anyone in the area to check their surveillance footage.
"Someone has got to have footage of this car," Yeakey said. "I don't want to see anyone's kid get hurt. This is serious business."
Spring ISD sent a letter to parents with students at Wunsche, informing them about the incident and their investigation:
Out of our commitment to transparency, I want to make you aware of a suspicious incident that occurred yesterday afternoon. A 9th-grade Wunsche student was walking home from the bus stop yesterday, located at Bay Leaf and Trailing Vine, when they were followed by a stranger who was described as a white male with a red, bushy beard and approximately 30-45 years old. He was reportedly driving a silver sedan with a black stripe.
The incident was immediately reported to Harris County Constables who then notified the Spring ISD Police Department, which is actively investigating. In addition, Spring ISD has teamed up with several law enforcement agencies to search for the suspect. For the added safety and protection of our students, we will continue to have extra police officers from both the Spring ISD Police Department and Harris County Constables in the surrounding neighborhood.
Parents, please take this opportunity to identify potential safe route maps for walkers and encourage your student to remain vigilant at all times. Urge them to stay alert, be aware of their surroundings, and report immediately anything that might be a danger or seem threatening to them. As always, the safety of our students is our top priority, and we take these matters very seriously.
If you have information that might assist in the investigation, please call the Spring ISD Police Department at 281-891-6911. For additional questions or concerns, please call the school at 281-891-7650.
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