Stranger Grabs Child’s Backpack Outside Bowie Elementary School

BOWIE, MD — Police officers have identified the man who witnesses say approached a Whitehall Elementary School student Friday and "grabbed the student’s backpack as the student was trying to enter a vehicle" outside the school.

The incident happened on Friday, according to police. The student's parent and other parents who were at the scene intervened to diffuse the situation and ensure the child's safety. The man then "ceased the encounter and departed the scene," Bowie police said in a news release.

An investigation determined that the man is a resident of a nearby mental health treatment facility and has a diminished cognitive capacity, the police department stated.

Bowie police officers have met with representatives of the facility, as well as school officials. The police department said it will increase its presence in the area "to ensure the safety of the students and the community."