Are Your Children Safe?

“Crime Ain’t Doin the Time”

On March 8, 2023, at approximately 8:40 AM, a stalky hooded man was reported for suspicious activity at a public school in the Chambersburg Area School District. He reportedly told two young children of the Andrew Buchanan Elementary School that their mother requested him to walk them to school.

“This in fact was not the case,” the mother on record said to the police. She had no idea who this person was. She officially reported this incident on March 9th at 1:45 PM as soon as her children told her.

This man is not a part of a ring,” an officer with a gravely and hardened voice said. His stoic nature exhumes over the phone.

Both the Chambersburg Police Department and the CASD Police Department are interested in this person. The man was captured on tape around Lincoln Way East and Sixth St, running.  The suspect was described as lanky and wore a white hoodie as well as 5’8-5’11 in stature.

Is there any child trafficking ring in Chambersburg?

I asked the officer and his voice adjusted stagnantly as if he was surprised by the question when he answered “No”.

The thing is, in 2020 on March 22nd, according to Public Opinion a man by the name of Anthony “Tony” D’Ambrosio, age 37 was sentenced to 10 years for sex trafficking.

I asked an officer who does not wish to be named if he was aware of this said previous case, he said “No but there have been cases of strange men around the Chambersburg schools,” he said in a gruff voice. This was shocking. Though this man is a person of interest and not a suspect, he could be a part of something greater in Chambersburg.

According to the officer, the children had stated that the man was shaky and sweating as he approached them. The mother of course is shaken up about the situation. This occurrence has a lot of parents in this area shaken up, because of the thought “What if that was my kid?”

One concerned mother, Sarah Pretesini, whose child goes to Andrew Buchanan Elementary School as well, heard about the case.

She is also aware of the strange men going to these young schools saying, ” It’s terrifying as a parent thinking your child would be safe at school and them realizing that they aren’t.” You could see the love she has for her child as she talks in a soft but troubled voice.

The community is taking a toll from this event. A lot of parents are worried for their children and want them to be safe, but since this happened security was taken from them. The elementary students are young and very impressionable; they could easily be swindled and persuaded to follow the person of interest.

Is the Chambersburg area not safe for children?

The simple and scary answer for parents is no. According to NeighborhoodScout.Com, Chambersburg is not one of the safest communities in America. Relative to Pennsylvania, Chambersburg has a crime rate that is higher than 92% of the state’s cities and towns of all sizes.

How could such a small town have so much crime?

Information such as this doesn’t relieve parents, it gives them proof that no matter what they always have to worry for their child. This case justifies the statistics. Though the suspect in police reports only talked to the children and didn’t commit any crimes against them, it still made the mother report it. The fear that something could have been done to her children made her search out this man.

I asked Sarah Pretesini if she was aware of the 92 % crime rate in Chambersburg. She had a visibly shocked face. Her mouth looked to be gaping open when I told her. She even held her daughter close to her for comfort. “That’s even more concerning, Yah ‘know, you want your children to be safe and you would think a neighborhood like this would give some peace of mind,” she said looking annoyed.

What is a parent to think, with the strange men being sighted around the Chambersburg school district schools and the 92% crime rate. It causes them to be stricter with their children so they can be cautious about strangers. It also means the two want more protection for their children at school.

The police are in desperate need to find this suspect and would accept any tips of where he could be spotted, he is not a suspect but a person of interest. He was last seen at Lincoln Way East and Sixth St.

You can contact the Chambersburg Police Department via a Phone call with the number: (717)264-4131

Work Cited:

Sex trafficking: Pa. man sentenced for role in multi-state ring (publicopiniononline.com)

Chambersburg Crime Rates and Statistics – NeighborhoodScout

 

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