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Cocoa police search for man who propositioned girl on her way to school

COCOA, Fla. — Cocoa police are looking for a man who propositioned a teenaged girl as she walked to school.

Police said on Wednesday the 15-year-old student was walking to her bus stop near Washington Avenue and Barbara Jenkins Street when a black male in a white car started to follow her.

That’s when police said the man started talking to her inappropriately.

“He drove up to her and told her he liked the way she looked and that he found her very arousing,” said Barbara Matthews with the Cocoa police department. “He offered her money to ‘look at her.’ We don’t know what he meant by that.”

Officials said the teenager’s bus rolled up shortly after and the conversation ended.

The incident has put neighbors on edge.

“It’s sad these kids can't come to the bus stop without someone approaching them and I pray to god they catch him whoever it is,” said resident Annie Robbins.

The girl told administrators about the incident as soon as she reached the Clearlake Education Center on Wednesday, but by the time police returned to the scene, there was no sign of the suspect or his white Lexus with the gold pinstripe.

“We don't know what this person was capable of and what he was planning so we're thankful she had the courage to report it,” Matthews said.