Police are searching for a man who punched a middle school student in the face for no reason while the child was on the way to their bus stop near Cary.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said they received a report Tuesday morning about the incident.
Lake County sheriff’s deputies responded to Cary Junior High School, 2109 Crystal Lake Road in Cary, after school staff was alerted to a 12-year-old student that had been battered.
Lake County Sheriff Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said the 12-year-old was on his way to the school bus stop in the area of West Pittner Avenue and Hickory Nut Grove Road in unincorporated Cary, which is in Lake County.
The victim reported he was approached by a man who struck him in the face with no provocation and fled into a wooded area around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.
The suspect is described as Hispanic, in his late 20s, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black sweatpants and black athletic shoes.
Covelli said the child sustained an abrasion to his face and was treated by the school nurse. The child and their parent declined an ambulance.
The sheriff’s office is asking homeowners in the area to review their video surveillance footage.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office at 847-549-5200.