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Stranger in white van grabs girl’s backpack on her way home from school in Berkley, she says

Girl says man let go when she kicked him

A white work van. (Berkley Public Safety Department)

BERKLEY, Mich. – A stranger in a white work van grabbed a girl by the backpack while she was walking home from school in Berkley, officials said.

The incident happened around 5 p.m. Wednesday (March 22) in the area of Sunnyknoll and Kipling avenues, according to authorities.

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The girl said she was walking home from school when a man approached and grabbed ahold of her backpack. She said he let go when she kicked him.

The man got into a white work van with a ladder and PVC pipe on top, as well as some rust on the sides, police said. The photo above is an example of the van, not an actual picture of the one he was driving.

He was last seen heading south of Kipling Avenue.

The girl described him as being pale, about 6 feet, 5 inches tall, and having a medium build. She said he was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with the hood drawn up around his face, a black beanie cap, a black COVID mask, a black The North Face jacket, ripped blue jeans, and tan work boots.

Anyone who has information about the incident or owns cameras in the area is asked to call Berkley police at 248-658-3380.


About the Author
Derick Hutchinson headshot

Derick is the Digital Executive Producer for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.

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