Officers are actively investigating an incident involving a man who grabbed a teenaged girl walking down the sidewalk in West Seattle. At approximately 1:11 p.m. officers responded to the West Seattle High School in the 3000 block of California Avenue SW for the report of a girl who was grabbed by a stranger.
Preliminary reports are that an adult male suspect jumped out of some bushes and grabbed a 16 year old girl on the arm as she walked down the east sidewalk of the 2800 block of Walnut Avenue SW. The victim struck the suspect, broke free and took off running northbound. The suspect ran off in an unknown direction and remains at large.
The victim ran to the West Seattle High School and reported the incident to staff (the victim is a student there). School staff called 911 (there was a 25 minute delay between the time the incident occurred and the time police were called). The victim was not injured in the assault.
The suspect is described as a white male in his 30’s to 40’s, 5’11” to 6 feet tall, medium build with shoulder-length brown hair and last seen wearing a blue zip-up jacket and black jeans.
Anyone with information about this incident or who may know the identity or whereabouts of the suspect is asked to call 911 or Seattle Police and refer to this incident.
Anonymous tips are welcome.
This remains an active and on-going investigation.