Man crashes stolen truck and grabs at Derby students, police say

A man was arrested near a Derby elementary school Tuesday after stealing a truck, crashing it into a gate and then returning to the school where he grabbed at children, Sedgwick County Lt. Tim Myers said.

Officers were called to the parking lot of Wineteer Elementary School for a suspicious person Tuesday afternoon. By the time they arrived, the man had stolen a truck from McConnell Air Force Base and then crashed it into a gate at nearby base housing, which borders the school, Myers said. Officers went house to house until a call alerted them that the man was back at the school.

“He physically grabbed their shirt and I think grabbed one of their arms,” Myers said, adding he did not know how many students the man grabbed.

He said the man was not injured in the wreck. He didn’t know the extent of damage to the truck. Myers said the man was arrested near the school. Myers did not release his name.

Myers said the Exploited and Missing Children Unit is investigating the incident.