Man tries to sexually assault 16-year-old near Wakefield Middle School

RALEIGH (WTVD) -- The Raleigh Police Department is searching for a man who attacked a 16-year-old girl near Wakefield Middle School Wednesday morning.

Investigators said it happened around 6:20 a.m. in a tree line area near the school at 2300 Wakefield Pines Drive as the Wakefield High School student cut through the middle school campus walking to school.

The suspect chased the victim, tackled and overpowered her, and attempted to sexually assault her. The suspect was last seen fleeing on foot after the attempted assault.

The suspect is described as a heavyset, stocky, black male in his 30s. He was wearing a black hoodie sweatshirt and black and white sneakers. He has a mole on the right side of his face.

Wake County Public Schools sent out a letter to parents on Thursday about the incident and said, "school security will be enhanced with additional patrols on campus."

While many parents are upset the school waited 24 hours to be notified, a police report shows the crime wasn't reported until Wednesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the investigation is ongoing; authorities say more information will be made available as the case progresses.

Anyone who has information that might assist the investigation of the incident is asked to call Raleigh CrimeStoppers at (919) 834-HELP or visit raleighcrimestoppers.org for text and email reporting options. CrimeStoppers pays cash rewards for anonymous tips that help solve cases.