Police investigate sexual battery of 15-year-old girl during morning walk to school
GREENSBURG, Ind. (WISH) — Police are investigating a report of sexual battery after a 15-year-old girl told them a man grabbed her as she was walking to school.
It happened early Tuesday morning in Greensburg.
Police said the 15-year-old girl went straight to school and told administrators about what happened. Greensburg High School called police and also sent an alert to parents.
Right now, police are looking to see if there’s any connection between the most recent report and another report that happened about a year ago.
The report of sexual battery happened between 7-7:30 a.m. on a one-way street near North East and East Washington streets in Greensburg.
“I mean it’s sick,” said April Marteness, who lives in Greensburg. “It’s absolutely sick.”
Marteness lives blocks away from where it happened.
“My kids hardly ever leave my sight. My son is 19 years old, and I still want to know where he’s at all times,” she said.
Police said the 15-year-old girl was walking to school when she told them a white man dressed in all black grabbed her and touched her inappropriately.
“I couldn’t imagine. I feel bad for the little girl, because she did not deserve that and she’s probably now traumatized from it, and scared, you know, because he’s still running loose,” she said.
Police said the 15-year-old had minor injuries to her face and described the suspect as a white man believed to be in his 30s to 40s. He was last seen wearing a black hoodie or jacket, black basketball shorts and had a black bandana covering his face.
“Our number one priority is of course the citizens of Greensburg and the safety of our kids,” said Greensburg Police Department Chief Brendan Bridges.
Bridges told 24-Hour News 8 by phone they received a similar report about a year ago with the same suspect description and MO, but in a different neighborhood about two miles away.
“Right now it’s still early in the investigation to where we are not going to be comfortable to say they are related in any ways, but that’s something we’re definitely looking into,” he said.
Police are urging parents to talk to their kids about safety and plan out their routes if they have to walk to school.
“We are still working very closely with the schools to make sure that we’re taking all the measures that we can to make sure that this doesn’t happen again,” he said.
Police also went door to door Tuesday to let people in the neighborhood know about the incident and said they are planning to do extra patrols.
If you have any information that could help police with the investigation, you’re asked to call Greensburg police at (812) 663- 3131.
