Police investigate bus stop incident

Published 9:02 pm Thursday, November 13, 2014

School district officials are warning students and parents to remain vigilant after a suspicious incident at a bus stop in the Holland area Thursday morning.

According to a letter from Lakeland High School principal Douglas Wagoner sent home with students, a female student reported to administrators being approached by a man while waiting for her bus.

Suffolk Police have opened an investigation and are appealing for anyone with information related to the incident to come forward.

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According to a city news release, police say only suspicious behavior, but no actual crime, was reported.

The man is described as black with very light skin, approximately 5 feet 8 inches, thin build, in his late 50s or early 60s, with gray facial hair, wearing a baseball cap, jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, and driving a silver Toyota Avalon.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP or text the keyword SPDVATIP and the tip to 274637 (CRIMES). Tipsters never have to give their names or appear in court, and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

Wagoner recommended parents discuss with their children the potential danger of strangers.

“Remind them to never accept rides or carry on a conversation with unfamiliar people as well as the importance of reporting such incidents to administrators, teachers, or other trusting adults immediately,” he wrote.

A similar letter was to be sent home Thursday from Forest Glen Middle, Kilby Shores Elementary and Pioneer Elementary schools, district spokeswoman Bethanne Bradshaw stated.

She also stated that a School Messenger recorded phone call was to be issued late Thursday afternoon, while bus drivers had also been notified.

Suffolk Police had “patrol cars vigilant at bus stop times,” she stated.