Crime & Safety

Update: Victim Recants Allegations of Being Accosted at Kennedy Middle School

A 13-year-old Kennedy Middle School student originally told police he was approached by a man in the parking lot on Wednesday.

Update: Thursday 6:00 p.m (See original story below.)

According to the Redwood City Police Dept., during the course of further investigation into this incident reported Wednesday of a Kennedy Middle School student being approached on campus by a man offering to sell him "weed" and then asked to get into the man's car, detectives uncovered several inconsistencies and areas of concern in the victim’s initial statement made to the police.

Based on these inconsistencies, detectives conducted additional follow-up investigation, including an additional interview with the victim. During this interview he ultimately recanted his statement and admitted there was no merit to his allegations. 

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Original Story--Wednesday, 6:00 p.m

The Redwood City Police Department is attempting to identify a suspect they say 
approached a 13-year-old boy on the campus of Kennedy Middle School on Tuesday.

Kennedy Middle School is located at 2521 Goodwin Ave. in Redwood City. 

According to Lt. Sean Hart, spokesman for the Redwood City Police Department, at about 10:00 a.m. Tuesday,  the student was walking through the school’s staff parking lot on his way to his next class, when the suspect drove into the lot and pulled alongside him and stopped.

Police say the suspect asked the victim if he “wanted some weed” and tried to entice him into his vehicle. The victim said no and continued walking. The victim then fled from the suspect and ran to the main office where he reported the incident. 

The suspect has been described as a black adult male, approximately 30-years-old, medium build, unshaven, short hair, with a scar running vertically across his right eye. Police say the suspect was driving a mid-size black pick-up truck.

Patrol officers responded to the scene and conducted an investigation. The suspect has not been arrested and has not yet been identified. A sketch artist worked with the victim to generate the attached depiction of the suspect. 

The Redwood City Police Department has increased patrols in the vicinity of this and other Redwood City schools in response to the incident. 

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information regarding the incident or possible suspect information is encouraged to contact Detective David Stahler at 650-780-7620. 


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