Family claims teen who attacked their daughter was posing as 5th grade JCPS student

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - A family wants answers from JCPS after they said their young daughter was robbed by a man in his late teens posing as a fifth-grade student.

The family of the alleged victim spoke exclusively to WAVE News Troubleshooters. They provided videos showing the suspect in an orange ski mask entering their apartment building.

The family and multiple law enforcement sources said he was a student at JCPS’s Goldsmith Elementary.

One video shows the little girl coming home from school. She still had her pink backpack on. That’s when her parents said the suspect cornered her, grabbed at her, and stole her cell phone.

The video then shows the suspect taking off, wearing the orange ski mask. The girl’s parents then ran after him down the street, the video shows.

However, here’s where our Troubleshooter Investigation took a turn.

During the course of the criminal investigation, her parents said she recognized him to the police as a student at her school who also rides the bus.

The school, Goldsmith Elementary is known to serve a large refugee student population.

LMPD did make an arrest. The family and multiple law enforcement sources said they believe he is at least 17 years old. Currently, the suspect is charged as a juvenile, while authorities figure out how old he actually is.

It is also unclear what documents were presented to JCPS to register him as a student and if they were what the law requires.

On Monday, JCPS said they couldn’t comment on a particular student but that “JCPS follows enrollment guidelines based on the paperwork families/guardians provide.”

The family said that answer wouldn’t cut it. They want proof that JCPS asked for, and received the appropriate paperwork. Even so, the alleged victim’s mother said, they should have used common sense to suspect the student wasn’t anywhere near 10 years old.

The Department of Homeland Security is now investigating the case as well.

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