Driver tried to ‘coerce’ student walking to school, Wichita police say

A 13-year-old girl walking to school Thursday morning in west Wichita was approached by a man driving a car who was “attempting to coerce her to get closer to his vehicle,” Wichita police spokesperson Trevor Macy said Friday.

Police said they were contacted by the girl’s mother Friday, he said.

Police don’t think it was the same person who was arrested after allegedly kidnapping three Wichita Public School students on Wednesday and Thursday. Those incidents happened on the east side of town. In those cases, police have arrested 21-year-old Manasseh Lemuel Ward on more than 15 charges including multiple counts each of aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, criminal threat and sexual-related charges.

The suspect in the incident on the west side had a different description, Macy said.

The latest report happened at around 6:30 a.m. Thursday while the girl was walking to Mayberry Cultural and Fine Arts Magnet Middle School, Macy said. That’s near Douglas and West Street.

The girl was approached by a man driving a blue or green car. The earlier kidnappings also involved a blue car.

The girl ignored the driver and later told her mother what happened, police said.

“The school district has been notified, and extra patrols have been assigned to the area,” he said.

Anyone with information about the incident can call the police at 316-268-4407 or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.