Ocala police responded to what they’re calling a “suspicious incident” Monday afternoon involving a middle school student and two drivers.
The Osceola Middle School student told police she was sitting in front of the house 520 SE Sanchez Ave. waiting for her mother to pick her up shortly after 2 p.m. when the driver of a silver four-door car stopped and began to look at her, according a news release from Ocala police.
She described the driver as a white man with blond hair, square-rimmed glasses, a short beard and a large tattoo on his left forearm, the release said. The rear license plate’s border was pink.
The man asked the girl whether she was bored and needed a ride, and she replied no to both questions, the release said. The driver continued staring at her, so she told him, “You can leave now,” to which he replied, “Get in the car.”
The student began walking southbound and telling the driver she was calling her mother, the release said. The man turned the car around and began driving slowly behind her while talking on his cell phone.
Shortly after, a blue four-door car pulled up in front of her, cutting her off, the release said. The driver was a white man who was also on his cell phone. The driver of the silver car got out and began to chase the student on foot.
When she reached the nearby Eighth Street Elementary School, she turned around, and the man was no longer following her, the release said. She then walked back to Osceola Middle School to call her mother.
Police went to 520 SE Sanchez Ave. to see if anyone witnessed the incident, but the residents said they did not see or hear anything happen.
Following the incident, Ocala police are planning to be visible outside Osceola Middle School when school lets out, the release said. Exact details weren’t available because a spokesperson wasn’t immediately available.