Man tried to abduct student walking to Martin Middle School in Raleigh, WCPSS says

RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Police are investigating after a man reportedly tried to grab a middle school student who was walking to school in Raleigh Wednesday morning.

It happened on Ridge Road.

Wake County Public School System officials said the student was walking to Leroy Martin Gifted and Talented Magnet Middle School and was approached by an older man driving a red pickup.

Officials said the man got out of the truck and tried to grab the student. The student was able to escape and run to school.

The incident renewed fears among parents of "stranger danger."

One parent said she found out about the incident while she was driving to school to pick up her sixth-grade daughter. Sarah Simmering got a robocall from the principal explaining what had happened.

She said she shared the incident with her daughter as soon as she picked her up; her daughter had not been aware of what happened.

"Once I read the email, it hit me even more reading those tips to share with your child about how not to talk to strangers, how to get away," Simmering said. "To me, that was scary, because I was imagining in my mind, how scary it must have been for that child and the parents."

In a letter to parents, WCPSS Communications Director Lisa Luten said extra law enforcement will be patrolling the area Wednesday and Thursday.

"I shared with her some of the things they said: don't talk to strangers, don't take anything from strangers. If a stranger tries to take you, do anything to get away," Simmering said. "I almost preferred that she could hear it from us and that way, we could discuss it and she wasn't caught off guard and had a trusted adult to talk about it.

"I feel very comfortable, but I could see how parents whose children walk would NOT want their kids walking to school right now," she added.

Raleigh Police continue to investigate.

See breaking news? Tell us about it here.