Kenmore police are still on the lookout for a kidnapping suspect, after a 12-year-old female reported that a male attempted to lure her verbally, and then by force, on March 21.

The victim was walking to her school bus stop that morning, following her typical route. In the 6900 block of Northeast 182nd Street, as she was walking south, she noticed a white, adult male following her, said Sgt. Ryan Abbott, spokesperson for the Kenmore Police Department.

The girl witnessed the man cross the street and he asked her if she wanted to go to a Kirkland park with him, that they could ride the bus together. She responded no. She continued walking and thought the man had left.

Then, in the 7000 block of Northeast 182nd Street, near a fenced empty lot, the man grabbed her from behind by her backpack. The girl said she spun around, breaking his grasp and kicked him once in the leg before running away. She ran to a friend’s apartment but was met with no answer.

The suspect is described as being in his 40s, with a medium build, with a scruffy beard and salt-and-pepper hair.

The student didn’t report the incident until March 25, the following Monday, because of fear, Abbott said. He added, at this time, it does not appear that this is a repeat incident.

And there has been no confirmation if a link exists to a Kirkland incident on March 28, in which an 11-year-old boy was momentarily grabbed by a man. A suspect was later apprehended by Kirkland police, based on the information provided by the victim. That man was arrested and charged with assault in the fourth degree.

Extra patrols are being conducted in the Kenmore area. If people see anything suspicious, they’re asked to contact police at 206-296-3311.