A search is continuing in Brockton, Massachusetts, Thursday morning to find a man accused of sexually assaulting a middle school student on her walk home from school this week.
Brockton police say the 13-year-old was attacked on West Elm Street on Tuesday as she was on her way home from West Middle School.
According to police, a man approached the girl in the driveway of a home near Elmside Road, about a mile down the street from school. After a brief struggle, the girl managed to escape, but the man also got away.
Police believe the man, in his 20s, was wearing a black shirt with multicolored lettering and gray pants. He was described as missing his two front teeth and was riding a blue bike with white lettering.
The school district's superintendent was made aware of the incident and responded by calling it "deeply concerning."
The incident also has parents and neighbors on edge.
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"It's scary," Isiah Ware said. "It's scary because you think your kid is going to school to get a good education but coming home it's just even more risky."
"There's so many people going in and out especially with this house being remodeled, like you don't know who lives around here, you don't know who's who," neighbor Manouchka Casimir said.
Brockton police say their investigation is active and ongoing.
"We're looking at other leads, and trying to see if there's any surveillance video near so we can bring this guy to justice," said Darren Duarte of the Brockton Police Department. "This doesn't happen often but like any parent, you should be telling your child to make sure you're aware of your surroundings, and hopefully something like this won't happen."