Seattle police have increased patrols as detectives investigate a reported attack on a Cleveland High School student.
The 15-year-old victim reported she was walking up a long staircase near 18th Avenue South and South Lucille Street around 3pm Thursday when she saw a man moving quickly up the stairs behind her.
The teen told officers the man caught up to her, spoke to her in Spanish, and asked her to sit with him on the staircase. She refused and tried to leave, but the man blocked her path. The victim said that when she tried to push past the suspect, he grabbed her around the neck. She began screaming and was able to free herself from the man’s grip and ran up the stairs to 20th Ave. S. The teen contacted residents and a nearby house, who helped get her home.
Police searched near the scene after interviewing the victim, but were unable to find the man.
The victim described the suspect as a hispanic male in his 30s or 40s, around 5’4, with a heavy build, dressed in an orange shirt and khaki shorts.
The Seattle Police Department will have additional patrol officers around area schools today, and detectives are investigating the case.
If you have any information about this incident, please call (206) 684-5575.