Bearded Man In White Porsche SUV Approached, Followed Student Walking From School, District Says

PELHAM, NY — School officials say that a student is safe and unharmed after what is being described as "disturbing behavior' by a stranger.

In a letter to families, Pelham Superintendent of Schools Cheryl Champ said that on Thursday morning, around 11:30 a.m., a Pelham student was approached and followed by a stranger. The man was described as a white male with a beard, driving a white Porsche Macan SUV.

The concerning incident took place on Nyac Avenue just north of Boulevard, while the student was walking from the high school campus to lunch, the district said.

The student is safe and unharmed, according to school officials. The school said that the student appropriately reported the disturbing behavior to school administrators, who immediately contacted the Pelham Police Department, who are now investigating the incident.

"While events like this are rare, this serves an important opportunity to remind our students to be aware of their surroundings when walking to and from school or around our community," Champ said. "We also strongly encourage students to contact police or another trusted adult if they see something of concern."

The superintendent suggested that students take a few common sense precautions before and after school. Those ''best practices" include walking in groups whenever possible; avoiding talking to strangers; using busy, well-lit roads; making noise to draw attention if feeling threatened, and having the numbers of local police programmed in mobile phones.

"We are grateful to our local police who have offered an increased presence at our schools this afternoon," Champ said. "We would also like to thank the Pelham community for your partnership in keeping our students safe."