Police in Galveston, Texas, say a 13-year-old girl likely saved her own life when she bit a man who allegedly grabbed her from behind on her way to school Monday morning. The suspect remains at large.
The middle school student told investigators she was walking to class around 6:45 a.m. when she heard footsteps closing in behind her near the 900 block of 28th Street. Before she could react, she said, a man lunged and grabbed her from behind. The girl told police she fought back, biting him twice before breaking free and sprinting the remaining blocks to Central Middle School, where she alerted teachers.
“The student reported that a man grabbed her from behind,” the Galveston Police Department said in a statement. “After a brief struggle, during which the young victim bit the assailant twice, she managed to break free and ran directly to school.”
Officers were called to the school just before 7 a.m., where the student recounted the attack. Fortunately, police said, she wasn’t physically injured. Her teachers called 911 immediately after hearing what had happened.
Police and the girl’s parents later retraced her walk to identify where the incident occurred. Along the way, investigators found surveillance footage from a nearby business that showed the girl walking alone — followed moments later by a man wearing a black short-sleeve shirt, blue jeans, and what appeared to be a ski mask.
Detectives say the suspect may have been White or Hispanic and that he could be suffering from visible bite wounds. An alert has been sent to area hospitals and clinics asking staff to notify law enforcement if anyone seeks treatment for such injuries.
While the search for the suspect continues, police are praising the teen’s quick thinking and determination.
Parents gathered outside Central Middle on Tuesday morning expressed both relief and anger — relief that the girl escaped unharmed, and anger that a predator is still out there. “You send your kids out the door thinking it’s a normal day,” said one mother. “It makes you want to walk every step with them.”
Police have increased patrols around local schools and urged residents to review doorbell or business camera footage from the morning of October 27. Anyone with information is asked to contact Galveston police.
