Days after Honolulu police notified the public of a man trying to lure four girls with a plush doll at King Intermediate School, HPD said today that the incident was a misunderstanding.
At around 2:55 p.m. today, HPD said that “a concerned grandfather of one of the students had found a stuffed Hello Kitty doll and was simply trying to return it to his granddaughter and her friends.”
HPD said in a statement on social media, “We appreciate the community’s concern for the safety of our keiki. We also thank the staff at King Intermediate School for their cooperation with the investigation.”
In a social media post Monday, HPD posted that around 7:30 a.m. at King Intermediate School, an adult male exited his vehicle and approached four girls who were 11 to 12 years old.
The man allegedly attempted to lure the girls by offering a Hello Kitty plush doll from his car, according to the post.
HPD released a description of the man — Caucasian male, about 50 to 60 years old, 5 feet 9 inches tall, around 150 pounds with gray hair, wearing a light blue aloha shirt and brown pants — and his vehicle online, and encouraged anyone with information to call 911 or contact CrimeStoppers.
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There was no physical contact and no injuries were reporter, HPD said Monday.
It’s currently unclear who made the initial report, but HPD said Wednesday it conducted a “thorough investigation and coordination with school officials” to determine that the incident was a misunderstanding.
“As always, we encourage the public to report any suspicious activity,” HPD said online. “Even when it turns out to be a misunderstanding, it’s important to ensure the safety and well being of everyone in our community.”