CHEVY CHASE, Md. — Students at Chevy Chase Elementary have reported two incidents in which they have been followed by men as they walk home, according to a letter sent out by the school's principal.
Jody L. Smith informed parents that last week, three boys told their parents that a man wearing a ski mask and driving a silver pickup truck followed them home from their bus stop. Smith says the stranger did this multiple times and that the suspicious activity was reported to police.
On Tuesday, another student told school officials that an older man with grey hair, wearing a yellow and blue jacket followed her closely for six blocks as she walked home from school.
"It's scary, really scary," said Katie O'Rourke, whose son goes to an after-school program at Chevy Chase Elementary.
"I think parents need to talk to each other and band together to have the kids walk together in teams to school rather than on their own. Maybe do carpools. It seems maybe the school can do some coordination of parents," O'Rourke added.
Principal Smith assured parents that the students involved are safe and that Montgomery County Police are investigating the cases through surveillance cameras.
A police spokesperson told WUSA9 that they are looking to confirm the validity of the recent reports.
Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police Special Victims Investigations Division determined that reports of two separate incidents involving suspicious vehicles in Bethesda are unsubstantiated. According to police, the cases were reported the first two weeks of January in the Glen Echo and East Parkhill neighborhoods. Investigators came to the conclusion that there was no criminal activity after reviewing videos and interviewing witnesses.
The principal at Chevy Chase Elementary is asking parents to remind students that they should go home directly after school and to discuss what they should do if they encounter a stranger.
Meanwhile, police are asking residents to continue reporting suspicious activity. They ask that if possible, people take note of the make and model of the vehicle involved, the license plate, and any description of the people inside. Police say people should never approach vehicles, especially when it comes to children.
Unusual activity should be reported to the non-emergency number at 301-279-8000.