SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio — Police say they have suspended an investigation over an alleged man in a mask offering candy to children outside the Shaker Heights Family Center earlier this month.
The matter stems from an incident back on Feb. 3, when a 19-year-old woman claimed an individual wearing a COVID-era face mask approached her younger siblings while they were playing outside and offered them sweets. After the children declined, the woman said she went to talk to the suspect before he fled in a white van with a ladder on it.
The woman reported the incident to law enforcement the next day, and officials say she and her siblings "accommodated all of our information requests." Authorities also reviewed surveilance video from area businesses and talked to other members of the community, however they "were unable to corroborate the facts as presented."
"As such, we are suspending our investigation," a statement from the police department read.
Despite the lack of evidence for a potential arrest, police thanked residents and members of the media "for rapidly getting this information out to everyone in our extended community." They also lauded the teen and her family who initially reported the alleged incident, noting "their courage in coming forward with information, that is all too often disregarded."
No further information is available at this time. The department is further "encouraging everyone to trust your instincts and contact police to keep your loved ones and our communities safe!"
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