A female student at Ernest Righetti High School in Orcutt said she was followed to the campus Friday morning, and another time in August, by a man she didn’t know, prompting authorities to release a sketch of the suspect they want to question.
Righetti officials and Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies are investigating the incident, according to Santa Maria Joint Union High School District officials.
School officials have notified staff and parents, the district said in a statement.
Late Monday afternoon, the Sheriff’s Department released a composite sketch in the hope that someone may recognize the man and have information that will assist detectives in this case.
“We also want to warn the community about this suspect,” sheriff’s officials said.
The first incident occurred in late August in the area of Hillview Road and Dahlia Place, officials said. The female student noticed a white male adult in his 20s to early 30s following her.
On Friday, at approximately 8:15 a.m., the student noticed the same suspect loitering near her residence and then following her while she walked to school.
“The suspicious subject walked closely behind her and made statements to her that made her fear for her safety,” the Sheriff’s Department said. “The suspect followed her until she reached the steps leading to the school’s north perimeter pedestrian gate on Larch Avenue.”
The subject was described as a thin, white male adult in his mid-20s to early 30s. He is approximately 6 feet tall, clean shaven, with short blonde hair. He was last seen on Friday wearing a black short-sleeve T-shirt and blue jeans.
This subject is wanted for questioning. Anyone with information about the investigation can call the Santa Maria substation at 805.934.6150 or the non-emergency dispatch number at 805.692.5743. An anonymous tip may be made by calling 805.681.4171.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.