On August 30, 2011 at 8:00 a.m. a 13-year-old female was walking to school on Hartford St. As the girl approached the Shannon St. intersection she observed a brown sedan with tinted windows parked in an alley. A male subject exited the vehicle, walked up to the girl, and grabbed her by the hair in an attempt to force the girl into his vehicle. The female managed to fight off her attacker and ran home. The subject was described as a light skinned Hispanic or white male approximately 5’9” tall and weighing around 160 lbs. wearing a black short-sleeved T-shirt, black pants, and black work style boots. The child also said the male had a light mustache or goatee.
On August 31, 2011 around 9:20 p.m. a 14-year-old male was walking to a church event with his 11-year-old sister in the area of Dobson Rd. and Galveston Dr. when a tan four-door sedan with tinted windows and faded paint approached the two children with its headlights off. The siblings ran away from the vehicle after a male subject exited the front passenger door of the vehicle and approached the children. The subject who exited the vehicle is described as a tall and thin Hispanic male in his twenties wearing a blue shirt and tan pants. The driver of the vehicle was described as a Hispanic male in his twenties with a mustache.
While it is unclear if these two incidents evolved from the same perpetrator, the Chandler Police Department is stepping up neighborhood patrols in these and other areas. The Department is also working with the Chandler Unified School District to notify students and their parents about these incidents and educate children on the existence and dangers of child predators. We are asking the public for assistance in identifying and reporting any suspicious activity and encourage parents to talk to their children about preventative measures to ensure their safety from child predators.
Never allow your child to walk to or from school alone. If possible, have your child use the school bus or drop and pick-up your child from school. If your child must walk to school, have them travel in a group, provide your child with a cellular phone for emergencies, tell them to use the same route every day, and make sure they know the names of the streets they use to walk to and from school, and the names of any streets intersecting their route. Walk or drive the route with your child pointing out the street names, along with any possible areas of refuge, including a church, school, or business.
Educate your child on the need for them to always be aware of their surroundings. If approached by a stranger, teach your child to run away, and to do it loudly! A child yelling and screaming in a neighborhood will almost certainly grab the attention of a neighbor. Teach your child to NEVER speak with a stranger or approach a strange vehicle. In the first incident, the female was able to fight off her attacker. In the second incident, the female had a gut feeling the situation was dangerous and ran away with her brother.
We encourage anyone with any information regarding both incidents to contact the Chandler Police Department at (480) 782-4130. A composite of the male subject from the August 30, 2011 incident is available on our website, www.chandlerpd.com.
For further information contact Detective Seth Tyler.