Man arrested near Paso elementary school after allegedly offering candy to kids

A 43-year-old man was arrested near Georgia Brown Elementary School in Paso Robles on Friday morning after he allegedly offered candy to children walking to school.

Students told a teacher on yard duty about their interactions with the man, and school officials called the police around 7:45 a.m. Friday, said Cmdr. Caleb Davis of the Paso Robles Police Department.

Officers canvassed the area and found a man standing on the corner of 34th and Oaks streets that the children identified as the person who approached them, police said.

Police arrested the man on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia, in addition to annoying a child under 18, Davis said.

The man was booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail, where he was being held Friday evening in lieu of $2,500 bail. (The Tribune does not name individuals arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor offenses.)

Georgia Brown Elementary staff notified parents of the incident on Friday, and urged them to talk to students who walk to school about “stranger danger” situations.

This story was originally published October 5, 2018 at 2:51 PM.