Parents alerted after incidents involving suspicious men at 2 Leeward schools
Police are investigating two separate incidents that occurred Tuesday in Leeward Oahu where students reported being approached by strange men.
One incident occurred near the campus of Kapolei Middle School, while the other happened while a student was walking to Campbell High School.
The principals of both Leeward Oahu schools sent “stranger danger” letters to parents after the incidents were reported.
A Kapolei Middle School student said she was assaulted Tuesday night near the gymnasium at Kapolei High School.
In a letter sent to parents and guardians of students at the middle school the same day, Principal Elden Esmeralda said the incident took place around 6:10 p.m. near the nearby high school gym.
The female student said a man approached her asking for directions and a tour of the campus.
When the student declined, the suspect grabbed her arms.
The student was able to free herself and the family filed a police report.
The suspect in Kapolei Middle School incident was described as in his his 30s, 5 feet 5 inches tall, with brown hair and with a tribal tattoo on his left ankle. He was last seen wearing black basketball shorts.
In the Campbell incident, Principal Jon Henry Lee said a male student told police that while he was walking to school, a man in a silver or gray car pulled up next to him, and told him his mom was in the hospital and he needed to get in the car.
The student refused and told his parents, who reported the incident to police.
The incident occurred near the intersection of Kapolei Parkway and Kolowaka Drive.
No suspect description was released in the Campbell incident.
Both “stranger danger” letters said: “The safety of your children is of the utmost importance to us. We are sending this letter to you as a precaution, and to encourage you to speak to your child about ‘stranger danger,’ and how to keep safe when coming to school and walking home.”
The letters listed safety measures to help the parents discuss the issue with their children.
These points include:
» Stay away from strangers.
» Do not talk or take anything from them.
» Don’t go anywhere with someone you don’t know. Never accept a ride from a stranger.
» Stay more than an arm’s reach from strangers. Seek help immediately from a trusted adult if you are approached by a stranger.
» Use the buddy system; avoid walking anywhere alone.
» If a stranger grabs you, do whatever it takes to stop the stranger, including yelling for help.
» Report any suspicious activity to a trusted adult.
» Be aware of your surroundings and let others know where you will be and what time you will be back.
6 responses to “Parents alerted after incidents involving suspicious men at 2 Leeward schools”
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Teach the students and faculty to always try to note license plates of any suspicious vehicles. These punks need to go to jail.
ever look online at the sexual predator map for your neighborhood? it’s quite shocking the amount and density of perverts out there in society.
What is more surprising is that some of them are acquaintances and relatives of friends. You really don’t know a person as well as you think you do.
Hey ALLIE! Wot you doing out on the Leeward side, thought you said dat side stay “Scary!”
Part of the item when shopping for school supplies should include a whistle. A whistle can help to alert others around you and the sound deafening to discourage would be attackers! An added bonus, all the canines will come running too!
Why don’t they get a sketch artist with the kid’s help to distribute the picture of the tribal tatoo to all of the local tattoo places in Hawaii? I bet most Hawaii tattoo artists intimately know their own tattoo designs and placement and must have records of the people they tattoo. This is not like spousal or clergy privilege so get the help of the Hawaii tattoo artist community to help catch a pedophile.