COURTLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — A teenager walking home from a school bus drop-off Thursday reported that a man she did not know grabbed her arm, according to deputies.
Just before 12 p.m. near 14 Mile Court NE and Troyview Drive NE in Courtland Township, a 15-year-old said she was dropped off by a school bus. After it left, she told deputies, a white utility-type van pulled up next to her and said something she could not hear.
She kept walking and then felt the man grab her arm. Pulling away, the girl said she was able to make it home safely.
She gave the Kent County Sheriff’s Office a description of a middle-aged white male who stands about 5 feet, 11 inches tall and is mostly bald with dark hair. He was wearing a white shirt and khaki shorts, deputies said.
Deputies say she was the only person to witness it. The sheriff’s office reached out to Rockford Public Schools and its transportation department who said there were no other witnesses or bus video that showed the white van. The sheriff’s office was working with school resource officers and district staff on the investigation.
Rockford Public Schools Superintendent Steve Matthews sent an email to parents Thursday night.
“As the school year closes please remind your children to be mindful of their surroundings and to report suspicious behavior,” he wrote.
Deputies are asking anyone who lives in the area who saw a white utility van nearby or has any information to contact the Kent County Sheriff’s Office at 616.632.6125 or call Silent Observer at 616.774.2345.
The sheriff’s office was investigating a similar incident in Tyrone Township in March. Deputies told News 8 Thursday that no more witnesses came forward with information on a similar vehicle or subject in that case. It was closed out until more information comes in.