Stranger tries to pick up kid from Sacramento school
SACRAMENTO -- An unauthorized pick-up at a Sacramento County school is under investigation by the Sheriff's Office.
A stranger showed up to Alexander Twilight College Prepatory Academy and asked for a nine-year-old student.
The catch: the girl's mother has never seen the woman and says it should be called attempted kidnapping.
Danielle Rivers, the mother, said, "I feel like it's not being handled like it should be, being that one of their students almost got kidnapped."
The stranger attempted to pick up the student from an after-school program, claiming she was in a hurry and needed the child to come out fast.
Rivers said, "I feel like if my daughter never said my mom didn't tell me someone was picking me up, the staff would have let my daughter go with this person. I would have never seen her again."
She also said the staff called her after her daughter told them something wasn't right.
Panic set in - why was a stranger there for her daughter?
Rivers said, "Not sure if I was going to make it there in time before this lady actually got my daughter."
According to the school's spokesperson, a security camera photo of the woman was shared with Rivers and law enforcement. However, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office can't confirm if the woman is part of their investigation.
Rivers showed CBS13 an email that went out to other families, warning of what had happened.
The school called the incident an "attempted unauthorized pick-up", but Rivers said it should be called attempted kidnapping and that school staff didn't follow protocol outlined in the email to parents.
She said, "Safety is first. Check IDs, identify the person that is picking them up. Don't just allow kids to leave with anybody just because they say a kid's name."
The school spokesperson says staff followed all safety protocols and the woman didn't get inside the building.
