ABILENE, Texas — The Abilene Police Department are crediting the quick actions of a bus driver for keeping a bad situation from turning worse Monday.
A release from the APD Thursday said on the morning of Feb. 14, officers were contacted by an Abilene Independent School District bus driver who reported an incident he witnessed at South 16th and Butternut streets.
The bus driver told police he was driving north on Butternut when he saw a middle-school-aged girl walking near the intersection when an older man carrying a shopping bag started following her. The man did not appear to be with the girl and was trying to talk to her, police said.
The driver, out of concern for the girl, decided to turn around. He circled the block, and as he got near the intersection, he saw the man standing next to the girl.
When the man noticed the bus approaching, he started walking the other way.
The bus driver made contact with the girl and she told him the man offered her a vape smoking device and when she declined, he grabbed her hand and refused to let go.
According to the APD release, she alleged the man tried to coax her into a nearby vacant house and as he pulled her arm, it caused her pain.
Officers were able to find the suspect within minutes. Sheldon Lee Bramblett, 45, of Abilene, was arrested and charged him with third-degree felony injury to a child. He was taken into custody later that same evening on a violation of parole warrant.
