Police have received several reports this week of concerning incidents involving adult suspects and children, and are asking the community to report suspicious activity and talk to their children about personal safety.
In one incident, a 13-year-old girl reported a man accosted and touched her while she was traveling to school in West Seattle on Thursday.
The girl told police she was on a Metro bus when a man sat down beside her. She said he stared at her and then followed when she got off the bus near SW Hanford Street and California Ave SW to eat breakfast at a fast-food restaurant.
The victim told police the man touched her on the buttocks as she got off the bus and saw him standing outside the restaurant while she ate. He started following her again when she left and asked the girl for change. He began yelling insults when the girl said she had no money.
He stopped following her when they got in sight of the school. The girl reported the incident to school officials, who then contacted police. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call 911.
Police also investigated a suspicious incident Thursday in North Seattle after a teen told police she ran from two men in an SUV after they stopped her on the street and asked to if she wanted to see puppies inside their vehicle.
The 13-year-old victim was walking in the 4300 block of Palatine Avenue North just before 3 PM, when she passed a green Chevy Suburban parked on the street.
A man, described as a white male with long brown hair, stepped out of the SUV and asked her if she “wanted to see his puppies.” Another man—a white male with short blonde hair—also stepped out of the truck and opened its back door.
The teen ran from the men and went to a nearby home, where she called 911. She was able to provide police with a good description of the vehicle, but police weren’t immediately able to locate it.
Parents can find tips for talking to their children about personal safety on the Seattle Public Schools website.