The girl was attending an after-school program at Coldwater Canyon Elementary School at 6850 Coldwater Canyon Avenue when the incident occurred, according to Los Angeles police.
She was walking near a restroom at 5:50 p.m. and had bent down to tie her shoe when someone approached her from behind, placed a hand around her waist and a hand over her mouth.
She bit the suspect and was able to run away. The girl immediately told a staff member, who then called police. The school was briefly placed under lockdown. Police officers responded and conducted a search but did not locate the suspect.
The suspect is believed to be a man with salt-and-pepper-colored curly hair. He was seen wearing brown shoes with no laces.
The girl was expected to be OK. LAUSD police said they are adding patrols around the campus, and neighboring schools have been notified. Coldwater is also sending home a letter to parents describing the alleged incident along with some general safety tips.
The school is reminding parents to talk to their children about walking in groups whenever possible and also not talking to strangers or accepting rides from people they don't know.
