West Islip Community On Edge After Man Approaches 13-Year-Old

WEST ISLIP, NY — Several West Islip parents are on edge after a student claimed she was approached by a man right outside school property on Wednesday.

A 13-year-old girl was sitting on a public bus stop near Udall Middle School, located at 900 Udall Road, around 2:45 p.m., when a man sat down next to her, a Suffolk County police report said.

According to a Patch source, the man spoke to the girl and asked if he could "be her friend." The girl was then picked up by the person was waiting on to give her a ride, police said.

Several West Islip parents took to social media, claiming that they saw the man around the same location on Thursday morning.

Superintendent Dr. Paul Romanelli sent a letter to parents on Wednesday, addressing the situation.

"The student handled the situation very well and reported it to their family and authorities were notified," Romanelli said. "Our school safety team was able to look back on our cameras and obtain a clear visual of the person, which we in turn shared with law enforcement."

He continued to say that the notice is not to "cause alarm" but to share safety guidelines to practice in the community, such as: "never leave children unattended at the bus stop; neighbors should take turns supervising students during the morning pick-up and afternoon drop-off sessions; and "encourage children to be mindful of their surroundings at all times, especially if they are alone."

Police told Patch that while the incident is non-criminal, additional officers will be in the area on Friday out of an abundance of caution.

The incident is currently under investigation.