School: Child Inside Car During Smash-and-Grab Vehicle Prowl

A Bellevue mom reported that a man smashed her car window last week while it was parked outside Sunset Elementary School with her second-grader inside, according to a letter sent to parents from Sunset Elementary School.

According to the letter from school principal Wayne Hamasaki, the mom parked near the bottom of the stairs leading to KinderCare and locked her second grader and purse in her car while she walked her younger child to KinderCare, around 8 a.m. March 15. The car was parked near the southeast entrance to the Sunset Elementary School parking lot.

In the few minutes that it took her to drop off the younger child, a man drove up, stopped his vehicle near hers, got out, smashed her car window and reached in to grab her purse, according to the letter.

The child was not hurt, the school reported.

The suspect was described as of slim build, with a black beard, about 5-feet, 10-inches. His vehicle was a short bed tan pickup truck. If you have any information on the vehicle or driver, please contact the Bellevue Police at 425-577-5656.

The school PTA is holding a safety meeting next week to address issues to safety at school.

Hamasaki and the school PTA released the following advice for parents:

• Never leave children alone inside your vehicle.        
• Never leave purses or valuables inside your vehicle; if you must leave valuables, secure them completely out of sight.
• Be alert to suspicious persons or vehicles in your vicinity.

If you go

The School Safety at Sunset meeting will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 27 Sunset Elementary Library, 4229 W Lake Sammamish Pkwy SE Bellevue, WA 98008. This will be a time for parents to share concerns, hear about what changes have or will take place and brainstorm ideas for further consideration in regards to the safety of children at Sunset.