Cedar Rapids Police: Student Approached Enroute to McKinley Middle School

Cedar Rapids Police are notifying the public that a student was approached en route to McKinley Middle School on Tuesday, Feb. 12.

Police say that between 7 and 8 a.m., a dark blue full-sized van approached a 12-year-old in the 1200 block 3 Ave SE. The driver is described as a white male, aged 30 to 40 years old, with a dark brown mohawk hair style, gray t-shirt and blue jeans.

According to police:

The 12-year-old was aware that the van had been following her when the van stopped, and the driver opened the door. The 12-year-old ran across the street. The driver yelled at her to stop and come back but she ignored him and ran to school.

Police say she reported the incident to her school staff, and the department was notified immediately. Police conducted a search but no one was located.

The Cedar Rapids Police Department and Cedar Rapids Community School District work closely on investigations such as this. Parents are also encouraged to talk to their school age children about what to do in situations such as this. Walk the route to school with their child. Look for businesses, churches or other schools that they could enter to report incidents that may occur while en route to school. 

If you have information regarding this or any crime, call Linn County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-CS-CRIME (272-7463) or text to CRIMES (274637) and in the message/subject, type 5227 and your tip. You can continue to trade information with an investigator. Text STOP to opt out at any time.   If the information you give, leads to an arrest, you may be eligible for a reward. All calls are anonymous.