Richardson ISD (RISD) Safety & Security has communicated with law enforcement and parents regarding two reported safety incidents that took place on Aug. 12, 2024, near JJ Pearce High School and Brentfield Elementary.
According to an email sent to parents, it was reported that the first incident occurred Monday morning, Aug. 12, on the 900 block Melrose Drive, where an unknown adult male in a 2014-16 black Toyota Corolla allegedly followed a high school-age child up and down the street, leading the child to seek help from neighbors.
Update 8/16/24 | 9:10 a.m. Richardson ISD recently provided an update for the incident on Melrose Drive and was able to close the investigation. With the help of school resource officers, detectives from the Richardson Police Department successfully located and identified the vehicle and its driver. Interviews with the driver, the student and the student’s family verified the details of the incident. It was determined that the driver was dropping off a family member at JJ Pearce High School. After reviewing the driver’s actions, detectives concluded that there was no direct contact or communication with the student. Although the driver’s behavior was concerning, there were no criminal elements present to justify charges.
The original story continues below.
A second incident took place that Monday afternoon in the Hillcrest/Campbell area of Dallas, where an unknown adult male in a white Toyota 4Runner reportedly approached two school-age children in what Dallas Police have described as a possible attempted kidnapping. The children ran home, and their parents reported the incident to Dallas Police.
RISD schools were closed on Monday. However, district safety and security staff increased their presence in the PHS area during dismissal on Aug 13, 2024, and will continue to do so for the next several days.
“Parents or community members who have information or witness suspicious activity should contact police,” RISD Executive Director of Safety and Security Cedric Ingram said in the email. “Thank you for your ongoing partnership in ensuring student safety before, during and after the school day.”
RISD Safety & Security advises parents to reinforce walking and stranger safety lessons with their children. They recommend that students, when possible, walk to and from school with a parent or responsible adult, or in groups, while avoiding alleys and isolated areas.
Students should also not interact with strangers or accept anything from them. If anything unusual happens on the way to or from school, children are encouraged to run to a safe place and immediately report the incident to a trusted adult, staff member or parent.
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