An Oviedo neighborhood can breathe a bit easier Saturday after the
hunt for an attempted child
abductor at an elementary school led to an innocent — but confused — grandpa.
Grandpa is having trouble with his memory and eyesight, so when he went to Lawton Elementary School to pick up his granddaughter Friday, he approached the wrong girl.
He grabbed the handlebars of her bike and told her to put the bike in his trunk.
The girl's family and Oviedo police searched for the would-be abductor Friday afternoon with no success.
Police called in a sketch artist who drew an image of the stranger, described as being in his late 50s or early 60s with white hair, a mustache and a goatee.
The image of the man wearing dark sunglasses was released to reporters with a plea for the public's assistance.
When members of an Oviedo family saw the sketch on television, they realized it was their grandpa and contacted police.
Authorities declared it a case of mistaken identity Saturday but would not release any names because "it was the result of a medical issue," Oviedo police Lt. Mike Beavers told the Sentinel.
Grandpa isn't usually part of the pickup routine, which may have been a factor in his confusion. Grandma usually picks her up.
But she couldn't do it Friday, so Grandpa went with his marching orders: Drive to school, put his granddaughter's bike in his car and bring her home.
Grandpa thought he had done just that and was confused when a girl he thought was his granddaughter rode away from him.
"When the little girl rode off he got in the car to follow her, but did not see her and immediately turned around and headed home to catch her at home," Beavers said in a statement.
Grandpa's neighbor — who was also at school picking up his child — saw Grandpa drive away, so he picked up the girl and took her to her grandparents' house.
The 7-year-old told detectives Saturday that Grandpa had called her by another name — his granddaughter's — at school Friday.
abductor at an elementary school led to an innocent — but confused — grandpa.
Grandpa is having trouble with his memory and eyesight, so when he went to Lawton Elementary School to pick up his granddaughter Friday, he approached the wrong girl.
He grabbed the handlebars of her bike and told her to put the bike in his trunk.
The girl's family and Oviedo police searched for the would-be abductor Friday afternoon with no success.
Police called in a sketch artist who drew an image of the stranger, described as being in his late 50s or early 60s with white hair, a mustache and a goatee.
The image of the man wearing dark sunglasses was released to reporters with a plea for the public's assistance.
When members of an Oviedo family saw the sketch on television, they realized it was their grandpa and contacted police.
Authorities declared it a case of mistaken identity Saturday but would not release any names because "it was the result of a medical issue," Oviedo police Lt. Mike Beavers told the Sentinel.
Grandpa isn't usually part of the pickup routine, which may have been a factor in his confusion. Grandma usually picks her up.
But she couldn't do it Friday, so Grandpa went with his marching orders: Drive to school, put his granddaughter's bike in his car and bring her home.
Grandpa thought he had done just that and was confused when a girl he thought was his granddaughter rode away from him.
"When the little girl rode off he got in the car to follow her, but did not see her and immediately turned around and headed home to catch her at home," Beavers said in a statement.
Grandpa's neighbor — who was also at school picking up his child — saw Grandpa drive away, so he picked up the girl and took her to her grandparents' house.
The 7-year-old told detectives Saturday that Grandpa had called her by another name — his granddaughter's — at school Friday.
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