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Newark Police Search For Man Accused Of Following, Attempting To Abduct Young Girl

NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) – Police in Newark are still searching for a suspect who allegedly followed a young school girl for blocks before trying to grab her.

However, if not for the quick thinking of crossing guard Annie Walker at Louise A. Spencer Elementary School on Cedar Street, the incident could have a much darker turn.

The girl's mother, who asked that CBS2 not identify her, said her daughter is still shaken after she said she was followed for six blocks as she walked to school.

Walker said keeping kids safe goes with her job, and she knew what to do when the girl came up to her in a panic.

"I said, 'What's wrong?' Then she told me that the guy was chasing her," Walker said. "She was all upset and crying, and nervous."

The young girl said a dark-skinned man in his 30s wearing a gray jacket, jeans and a blue hat was following her. And she said it wasn't the first time.

The girl claimed the man followed her more than once.

"He did it on Friday from the Boys and Girls Club," Walker said.

Walker instructed the girl to go inside the school and get school security. Then, the brave crossing guard saw the man and confronted him.

"I talk to him. He said: 'I didn't do it. I didn't do it,'" Walker said. "I said: 'Yes, you did, because she's all upset. She's not lying.'"

The man got away. Community activists late Tuesday afternoon were handing out flyers to warn parents a predator is out there.

Now, parents are upset, saying the school did not their part to alert them, CBS2's Janelle Burrell reported.

"They should've done a parent alert," said community activist Donna Jackson. "They didn't do that. They wouldn't do that, and as you guys saw today, it's pulling teeth to get information from them."

To keep students safe, community activists advised them to walk in groups, establish safe places at trusted stores or neighbors' houses, and tell kids to scream, "Help!" and, "This is not my parent."

Community activists said they have handed out at least 100 fliers to alert people to the incident, and plan to distribute many more as the suspect search continues in Newark.

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