Wednesday, November 5, 2003
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Wednesday, November 5, 2003 |
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Suspicious person cleared of wrongdoing after turning self in By JOHN MUNFORD The “suspicious person” who spooked a student at a bus stop in the Lakeside at Redwine subdivision in Fayetteville recently turns out to have a legitimate reason for being in the neighborhood, according to police. The man, who came forward to police Monday morning, is friends with a family who lives in the subdivision and was actually picking up a student to take her to school that day, said Lt. Beverly Trainor of the Fayetteville Police Department. Detectives checked out the man’s story and were able to clear him of any wrongdoing, Trainor said. “He said, ‘I didn’t mean anything by it,’” Trainor said. “It was just a case of mistaken identity.” The man came forward Monday morning after reports that students at a Halloween party in Lakeside late Friday night reported spotting a man similar to the sketch published by police who also drove a red car such as the suspicious person drove. The man pulled up to a group of students outside the home and asked if they went to Fayette County High School, according to a witness. Several students notified parents at the home, who were able to follow the vehicle and get a tag number to provide to police, Trainor said. Trainor said the parents and the students did the right thing in gaining enough information for police to continue the investigation. Police are still unable to explain the first sighting of a similarly-described suspicious person at another bus stop in Fayetteville three months ago. “We still don’t know about that one,” Trainor said, adding that the man who approached police Monday was also cleared of that incident. Police are still encouraging residents to keep watch on their children, particularly at bus stops. “People are being more aware and helping keep an eye out and that’s a good thing,” Trainor added. “We want to protect our children.”
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