Moses Lake parents warned about potential child abductor

Letter issued to parents

MOSES LAKE - Parents were issued a letter after a 9-year-old student said a man chased her while she was walking to school.

The incident took place Tuesday morning but school personnel was not notified until Wednesday morning, said Special Assistant to the Superintendent P.J. De Benedetti.

The Moses Lake School District issued the letter to parents Wednesday.

According to police records, a 9-year-old girl was walking from her home to North Elementary School. The exact location of the incident was not specified but she was within 1 mile of the school.

The male reportedly approached the girl and she ran from him, according to police records. He grabbed her backpack but let her go and fled the area in a late model red mini-van, according to police records.

The male is described as tall and his race was unknown. At the time of the incident, the male was wearing a red hat, light green shirt and dark colored slacks.

"The student was unharmed, but was justifiably scared by the event," North Elementary School Principal Shannon Dahl wrote in the letter issued to parents. "We will be reviewing 'stranger danger' with our students today and encouraging our walkers to go straight home after school. Please take the time to discuss this with your children so they understand your expectations as well."

The letter was issued to North Elementary student's parents and a similar version of the letter was sent to Larson Heights Elementary student's parents because the schools are within close proximity of each other, De Benedetti said.