Increased Security At South Austin Elementary School After Child Luring Incident

Austin Independent School District officials will increase security around a Southeast Austin elementary school this week in response to an incident of a man attempting to convince a student to get into his vehicle.

A young girl said she was followed by a man near Linder Elementary on Metcalfe Road on Dec. 4 at 7:30 a.m., according to AISD. The child said a man followed her as she walked to school, and attempted to lure her into his vehicle. The girl ran away and immediately told school administrators about the incident.

A similar instance of child luring took place near Hopewell Middle School in Round Rock on Wednesday. A white male approached a minor female and asked her to help him get candy out of the trunk of his vehicle, the child refused.

The suspect is described as between the ages of 40 and 45 years old, approximately 5 feet, 11 inches tall, with a stocky build. He is balding and has a scar underneath his right eye. There is no description of South Austin suspect at this time. Anyone with information is asked to contact the AISD Police Department at (512) 414-1703.

See the full text of the email sent to Linder parents about the incident obtained by Patch below:

Dec. 4, 2015

Dear Linder Elementary School Families,

The safety of all students is our top priority at Linder Elementary School. With that in mind, I am writing to let you know about an incident that occurred this morning before classes began. At about 7:30 a.m., a suspicious man began following one of our students as she walked to school. The man attempted to talk to the student and persuade her to get in to his vehicle. The student ran away and immediately reported the incident to us.

Our student is safe, and we commend her for reporting the incident so quickly. We immediately contacted Austin ISD police, who will increase patrols in the area for the next several days. If you or your children see anything or anyone suspicious, please contact the AISD Police Department at (512) 414-1703.

We appreciate your support as we work together to ensure our students’ safety and security at and around our school. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me directly at (512) 414-2398.

Sincerely,

Beverly Odom

Principal

Linder Elementary School