City police say they’ve identified, questioned and released a man accused of attempting to lure three young girls from a west-end schoolyard last week.
“Unfortunately, at this time, there wasn’t enough evidence to lay a charge,” EPS Const. Matt Royer said.
An officer spotted a man matching the suspect’s description walking near Belmead Elementary School on Monday afternoon, one week after the alleged luring took place.
He was detained, then released without charges.
The 65-year-old man was not known to city police before the incident, though Royer said, “He’s on our radar now.”
The senior citizen will be banned from all Edmonton school properties, he added.
Police credit school staff for providing a detailed description of the suspect.
“A potential situation was avoided by the quick action of teachers and students,” he said.
The manhunt began after a man allegedly approached three five-year-old girls in a schoolyard on the afternoon of Jan. 11.
He reportedly offered to buy them candy at West Edmonton Mall, but fled the scene when a teacher began to walk over.
