Report of unknown man at school causes concern

Police have questioned a man after someone reportedly grabbed a child at Center Elementary School last Wednesday.

Police Sgt. John Tufts said the man denied touching any child at the school, and conflicting stories from children who were at the scene have made it difficult to determine if anything really happened.

Tufts said the child was with several other children, and that his sister, who was only four feet away, couldn’t confirm that anyone had been grabbed.

“We are not getting confirmation that anything really happened from the other kids,” Tufts said.

Police took a picture of the man and showed it at the school, where witnesses said he was not the man in question.

It was reported at the time that a man was trying to sell the kids a dog for 25 cents.

“We have been watching the school on a daily basis,” Tufts noted.

“It concerns me,” Superintendent Dennis Carlson said Tuesday. He added that “the child did the right thing, reporting the incident to an adult.”

Tuesday, several local parents were on the school grounds watching for anyone not connected to the school, Tufts said.